Revolution of Love.com Blog

I know there are sooo many great blogs out there but I just don't have time to read them all. Heck, I can barely post here. But I do have a few favorites that I make sure to read at least once a week. A new favorite that I've grown to love is The Domestic Church by Katherine. Stop by and check it out!

Brian and I absolutely LOVE Masterpiece Mystery! We enjoyed the last two Poirots and can't wait for the new season of Miss Marple on Sunday. It'll be interesting to see how the new actress playing Miss Marple takes over.

I love to make enchiladas but I didn't like the fact that it was a bit time consuming. Now when I want the taste without all the frying and rolling, I make this enchilada casserole instead. (Note: I don't care for the taste of canned sauce so I use a sauce recipe my dad put together. If you like the canned stuff, you can sub with that instead.)

Ingredients for Sauce

1 28oz can of tomato sauce
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp paprika
1-3 tsp of chili powder (For flavor but mild heat, use only 1 tsp. You can add more after if you'd like.)
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for Casserole/Lasagna

2 dozen tortillas (estimate)
Cheese - Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack or a Mexican Blend (I usually make sure I have at least a small block of cheese. You can use more if you want it extra cheesy.)
Filling - You can pretty much use anything you like: beef, carnitas, turkey, chicken, fish or just cheese. You can get as fancy or as simple as you'd like. My family especially likes when I use 1 lb of ground lean turkey, 1 sautéed chopped onion, 3 sautéed minced garlic cloves, 1 can chopped olives and salt & pepper.

To Assemble

Mix the sauce ingredients together. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Let cool. (Note: This is enough sauce for a 13x9 baking dish.)

Warm about 2 dozen corn tortillas. (You can substitute with flour also.) You can use a grill to warm them and place them in a folded dish to keep them soft. You can also warm them in the oven wrapped in tin foil.

Cut the tortillas in half. Spread sauce on the bottom of you pan. Make a layer the tortillas. Spread sauce to cover tortillas. Make a layer of your filling. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover with sauce. Make another layer of tortillas. Repeat the process 2-3 more times, depending on how thick you want it.

Cover the dish with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Take out of the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Enjoy!

We're on our way to Lake Tahoe so I'll post more when I return. Have a great week! Love, b

Happy feast day of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Here is a post Brian wrote for RoL.

Twelve Promises from God
by Brian

On June 19th the Universal Church will celebrate the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. In fact, the whole month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart.

In December of 1673, Jesus appeared for the first time to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) a Visitation sister living at the Order's convent in Paray-le-Monial. Over the next eighteen months Margaret Mary received directly from Christ revelations about His Most Sacred Heart.

In the course of these revelations, Jesus gave Margaret Mary "twelve promises" that He would keep, for those who honored His Most Sacred. The "twelve promises" are:

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.

2. I will give peace in their families.

3. I will console them in all their troubles.

4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.

5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.

6. Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.

7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.

8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.

9. I will bless those places wherein the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.

10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.

11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my Heart.

12. In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.

At one time, a friend of mine discovered by chance the "Five First Saturday Devotion" given by Our Lady of Fatima to Sr. Lucia in 1925. He told me that he was beside himself, because he could not understand why no one told him about this simple devotion that if practiced faithfully would bring at the hour of death, through Our Lady's direct intervention, the graces necessary for salvation.

When I reflect upon the twelve promises above, I can see my friend's dismay over something so simple, yet not practiced, nor even known, by so many of the faithful. Christ is not asking us to climb Mount Everest or to fast forty days and forty nights, nor is He asking us to make all night vigils. All He is asking us to do is honor his Most Sacred Heart and He will do the rest.

Along with receiving communion on nine consecutive first Friday's we should offer our Holy Communion for those who do not receive Our Lord, who do not love Him and who wound Him by their sinful lives. I have also read that we should make a holy hour on the Thursday before first Friday in reparation for sins committed against the Sacred Heart.

The promises listed above show the power of Our Lord's Sacred Heart. They also show how much he really loves us and wants us in Heaven with Him for all eternity. Therefore, these promises should not be passed over lightly or rejected as pious drivel, but recognized for what they truly are - promises from God.

I have to admit that I have not practiced this devotion faithfully. I also have to admit that after reading about the Sacred Heart and pondering the twelve promises I will begin this beautiful devotion on the next First Friday. I pray for the grace to continue to do so for the rest of my life.

If you are practicing this devotion, keep it up. If not, join me and let's make the most of the promises Jesus offers to those who honor and love His Sacred Heart.

God bless.

Here is an interesting post from Amazing Facts Blog.

Top Ten Unusual Patron Saints

I only knew half of them but I bet Brian recognizes who they are since he seems to know all about the obscure saints!

Brian and I watched the first episode of this season's Next Food Network Star. Brian knew who was going home before the (difficult!) challenge was over. It took me longer to guess. It looks like it'll be an interesting season, although I don't have an immediate favorite. If you want to find out a little bit more about the contestants, the Food Network Addict has mini-interviews with each. Plus, Bob Tuschman's blog is always a favorite for behind the scenes insight and humor. Enjoy (and let me know who you are rooting for!)

it is hard to believe that two years have passed by so quickly but my little baby is growing up - and will be a big brother by the end of summer! Happy Birthday, my sweet little Andrew!

That was then...this is now.

Brian and I love icons and have many in our home. One of our favorite suppliers is the Not of This World Bookstore in Santa Rosa, CA. We live too far to go there in person but fortunately, you can order any of the icons online at http://www.notofthisworldicons.com/index.html. The next time you are looking for a religious gift or an icon for yourself, be sure to check them out.

It seems everyone has been talking about the young girl that saw her dad after a year of him being away in Iraq. It's a heart tugging 30 seconds.

Did a tear escape as you watched it? Me? Heck ya!

Danielle Bean has an interesting post at Faith & Family about Michelle Duggar called The Force of Femininity. Michelle has taken a lot of abuse from the secular world, regarding everything from her giving birth to 18 kids to her hair style. When I first started watching the show I thought she seemed a little fake - how could someone be so "sweet" and calm in the midst of family life chaos? But after watching the show for a year or two, I can see that it is not fake. That's the way she is and how she lives her life as a wife and mother.

It brings to mind the other reality show Jon and Kate Plus Eight. I used to love the show when it first started. Watching the kids grow up was fascinating but I had to stop after awhile because I couldn't stomach the nastiness of Kate towards her husband and the lack of charity all around. It is heartbreaking, but not surprising, to see the situation they are in now.

You can't help but notice the stark contrast between these two ladies and how they react to their husband and children. No one is perfect but Michelle is a humbling reminder to me that I need to be more like her... I need to bite my tongue when the sarcastic remark is about to escape or to take a deep breath before I lose my cool when Andrew dumps out the trash can...again. It is a reminder that my vocation as a wife and mother is a gift from God and I serve Him by serving them. I may never be as calm and patient as Michelle seems to be, but Ive learned that adding a little more sweetness to family life can make things run a heck of a lot smoother and happier!

Some of my siblings in So Cal have been telling me about friends who started a band called Love, Resonate. They now have their three song demo online at http://www.myspace.com/loveresonate. The band is also doing some great missionary work. Check it out!

To go with the previous Kris Allen post, here is a video of him singing. (He was the worship leader at his church.) I didn't know that when I first started voting for him but makes me love him even more. :-)

Congratulations to Kris for winning American Idol last night. I had been cheering for him since the beginning but I honestly didn't think he'd actually be able to beat Adam. I was ecstatically surprised when they announced his name. (I even forgot how sore my fingers were from all the texting and redialing I did on vote night. :-) Way to go!

FOR TODAY: Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Outside my window... it is drizzly and foggy.

I am thinking... should I wake up Andrew? It is nearly 9AM.

I am thankful for... my prenatal appointment going well and that the baby is so alive and kicking!

From the learning rooms... there is a pile of "Thomas" trains.

From the kitchen... the smell of roasted chilies and a brewing pot of pinto beans to go with tonight's tacos.

I am wearing... black sweat/yoga pants, white tank, pink maternity top & socks.

I am creating... my twitter account.

I am going... to vote like mad for Kris tonight even though I don't think he can beat Adam on American Idol.

I am reading... The Seventh Dial by Agatha Christy.

I am hoping... to update my photo albums with the new family pics.

I am hearing... Mat Kearny's new City of Black and White

Around the house... there are bags of various unused items to go to charity.

One of my favorite things... when Brian calls from work to see how I am doing...as he just did a second ago. Aww.

A few plans for the rest of the week... take Bella to her Little Flowers Girls' Club and have my in-laws over for dinner on the weekend. (What to cook???)

Here is a picture I am sharing... here's a pic of Andrew helping me with my ironing.

Thanks to The Simple Woman's Daybook for the questions.

Here is the next installment of EML's Tightwad Tuesday.

We just took a vacation to CA for my brother's wedding so I thought I would compile a short list of some of the way we keep our cost down while on vacation.

1. Don't just look at discount sites for airline tickets, but also check the companies site directly for sales. We usually fly Jetblue or Virgin America since they have direct flights and it is almost always cheaper to buy directly from them. Virgin America was actually having a sale on round trip tickets from DC to CA for $160 round trip!

2. Do some reach for your destination spot and see if they have any "off season." We usually fly to CA in the colder months
(January-March) since airline tickets and car rentals seem to be cheaper then.

3. When I am looking for a hotel, I always make sure it comes with a free breakfast. I am actually surprised at some hotel's free breakfast since it is like going to a sit down restaurant.

4. Get a hotel room that comes with a fridge and microwave so you can bring and prepare your own food. For our honeymoon, we stayed in an extended stay hotel and it came with a complete kitchen! We saved quite a bit of money by packing our lunch and making our dinner. It was nice to go out a few times on our honeymoon, but I actually preferred the homemade food.

5. Think about going on vacation with a group of people to help cover cost.
a. When you have a group of people you can see about renting a house in the area rather than staying in a hotel. However, renting a house usually requires week long stays.
b. Carpooling will help you save money on gas.

7. Most cities have tourist websites so check out what free things you can do in the area.

8. Set a budget of what you can spend on the vacation and stick to it.
If you are the type that always goes over then only use cash that way you have a more clear idea of how much money you have for the trip.

What are some of your ideas to save on vacation and still have a great time?

We've been out of town to attend the weeding of my brother Rob to his fiance Maria Rangel. The wedding was beautiful and Bella had the honor being the flower girl. (The most touching part was when Brian leaned over and whispered, "It was almost as beautiful as our wedding," and then he kissed me. It's nice to know he can still make my heart skip a beat after ten years of marriage!) Anyway, here is a pic of Bella with the bride and groom and Andrew dressed like a little man.

Catholicvote.org's pro-life commercial was approved and will be playing during the American Idol finale. Good for them! Check it out.

Today is the feast day of St. Louis Marie de Montford. Here is piece that Brian wrote for RoL.

Recently, I finished reading a book on the life of St. Louis Marie de Montfort (1673-1716). This apostle of the Rosary, vagabond preacher, friend of the cross and author of numerous works, including True Devotion to Mary, could easily be considered the "patron saint of rejection."

Within St. Peter's Basilica, high up in one of the many columns that support the infrastructure, is a niche which contains a life size statue of St. Louis de Montfort. Whoever sculpted the statute did an awesome job depicting the saint as a humble priest who was a spiritual powerhouse. Whenever I see a picture of the statue, I notice two things immediately. First, under his feet De Montfort is crushing the devil, who has taken the form of a serpent. Second, he is cradling a large crucifix in his left arm.

Throughout de Montfort's life the cross loomed largely. Like His Savior who carried the Cross to Calvary for the salvation of the world, St. Louis imitated and obeyed Jesus who said, "He who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me." (Mt. 10:38).

As I read about the life of St. Louis de Montfort, it became apparent that many of his peers during his own day saw him as an odd priest. For the most part, this was due to the way he lived his priestly vocation. His calling to be a missionary led him to embrace the life of a tramp. It also led him to embrace a life of poverty where he associated with the poor and destitute. It led him to take the Gospel literally and live out his vocation in extreme austerity. It helped him to pray constantly and fully abandon himself to Divine Providence. Through all of this he developed a reputation of being strange and a bit bizarre, even though he was quite the contrary.

His way of life, his approach to living the Catholic faith and his identity as a missionary left him a marked man. Whether it was Lent, Advent, the Easter season or Ordinary Time, de Montfort carried the cross of rejection wherever he went. Of course he gave parish missions and inspired the faithful to live and love their faith, but more often than not, St. Louis was given a cold shoulder and the silent treatment by numerous bishops and fellow priests.

Time and time again, he would enter a diocese to speak with the Bishop to receive permission to celebrate Mass, hear confessions, and preach missions. Many bishops who heard rumors about this strange missionary would immediately send him on his way denying him permission to do anything except leave the diocese.

What is so amazing and striking about de Montfort was his total acceptance of rejection which had become his constant companion. It seems that he was quite at home with the reality that many people, especially brother priests and religious, continuously rejected him and his way of life. Again this did not alter or faze de Montfort. He made sure he kept close to Mary and followed whatever path that she placed him on.

Rejection is quite common. I am sure all of us have experienced rejection and the feelings that are associated with it. Even Christ Our Lord experienced in a most profound way the rejection of others when He hung upon the Cross, dying a slow and painful death. Because rejection, however unfortunate it may be, seems a universal experience the question that remains is how do we deal with it in a manner that will give glory to God? I believe the example set by St. Louis de Montfort suggests several ways to handle rejection.

One of the ways St. Louis handled rejection was by recognizing that nothing ever happens to us without God permitting it. St. Louis understood at the deepest level of his soul that God loved him and that whatever happened to him, including being rejected, did not change this fact. Another way that St. Louis handled rejection was through reflection and meditation upon the "ultimate rejection" Christ experienced on the Cross. The servant is no greater than the Master, therefore if Christ endured rejection why not us? Lastly, St. Louis turned to Mary by praying the Rosary. Through the recitation of the Rosary, Our Lady tenderly embraced St. Louis, consoled him and helped him overcome the rejection he suffered.

I believe if we keep the threefold example set forth by St. Louis de Montfort when experiencing rejection, we would merit great graces. His threefold example of accepting God's Will by knowing God's love for him, his constant reflection upon Jesus Crucified, and the recitation of the Rosary will enable us to handle and endure rejection.

Rejection is never easy to accept and for most of us who have experienced it, it can be downright painful. But now we have a patron saint of rejection whom we can turn to for inspiration and help.

St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!

God bless!

Now that my belly is well on it's way towards pregnancy hugeness, I was looking for a way to stay in my fave jeans for as long as possible. I came across the Belly Bands Combo that turns your regular jeans or pants into preggers-friendly clothes. I gave it a try and so far I love it! I am still on the shorter extender but most likely in another month or so, I will need the larger extender. If you are in the same situation, check it out!

I was browsing the Phatmass Phorum and came across this funny post from awhile back. It seemed appropriate since I am feeling very pregnant at the moment. :-)

PREGNANCY Q & A & more!

Q: Should I have a baby after 35?
A: No, 35 children is enough.

Q : I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?
A: With any luck, right after he finishes college.

Q : What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?
A: Childbirth.

Q: My wife is five months pregnant and so moody that sometimes she's borderline irrational.
A: So what's your question?

Q : My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but pressure. Is she right?
A: Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.

Q: When is the best time to get an epidural?
A: Right after you find out you're pregnant.

Q : Is there any reason I have to be in the delivery room while my wife is in labor?
A: Not unless the word 'alimony' means anything to you.

Q: Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?
A: Yes, pregnancy.

Q : Do I have to have a baby shower?
A: Not if you change the baby's diaper very quickly.

Q : Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act normal again?
A: When the kids are in college.

I had not heard of this guy before but he has a beautiful story of conversion. Check out the videos below or read the article/video text here.

Paddy's Conversion Story

Paddy Singing "Abba Father" in Medjugorje

FOR TODAY: Thursday, April 16, 2009
Outside my window... the sun is trying to break through the fog.
I am thinking... that I should finish cleaning out the kid's closet.
I am thankful for... it being my ten year anniversary from the day I first met Brian face-to-face. (After months of emails and phone calls.)
From the learning rooms... there are markers and construction paper scattered on the table.
From the kitchen... the dishes are washed.
I am wearing... black sweat/yoga pants, white tank, blue maternity top.
I am creating... a new post.
I am going... to order Papa Chanos for dinner tonight to celebrate.
I am reading... Agatha Christie.
I am hoping... Brian gets home soon.
I am hearing... Imagination Movers on the TV.
Around the house... are various toys.
One of my favorite things... the kids are asleep early and I have some quiet time with Brian.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Sunday picnic with family and friends.
Here is picture I am sharing... (The kids on Easter Sunday at Oma and Opa's.)

Thanks to The Simple Woman's Daybook for the questions.

Happy 82nd Birthday to our Holy Papa!