Managing Stress With the Help of Your Catholic Faith by Mary Lou Rosien

Last week, I attended the Catholic Marketing Network Conference. The Catholic Writers' Guild, of which I'm President, had a booth, so several of us attended to do signings and talk up our books. Naturally, we all traded, and I now have the happy if overwhelming task of reading some terrific Catholic writing by new friends.

On the flight home, I read Managing Stress with the Help of your Catholic Faith by Mary Lou Rosien. Mary Lou, a former social worker, runs a large homeschooling family. Several of her children have learning disabilities, as well. She learned the effects of stress the hard way--when it caused her to develop heart arrhythmia. Imagine bending down to tie your child's shoes and not being able to breathe! Years have passed since this incident and I found Mary Lou to be happy, almost bubbly, incredibly in love with her family and RELAXED!

A lot of her information I already knew from my own reading on handling stress, but I enjoyed seeing the application to the Bible and the examples of the lives of the saints. This is a book I'll be requiring my daughter to read, especially.

Experiencing stress can be frustrating, upsetting, or downright debilitating. Managing it, however, can provide a new source of energy, accomplishment -- and everyday application of the Faith.

Managing Stress with the Help of Your Catholic Faith helps readers confront, understand, and overcome challenges. Through the teachings and Traditions of the Church, it explores the causes of stress, explains ways to identify personal stress triggers, and delivers realistic, helpful tools for coping.

Written for individuals and support groups, this practical resource covers:

* A better understanding of stress and human suffering
* Innovative ways to break the cyclical nature of stress
* Discovering the stress-reducing impact of receiving Christ in the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation
* Finding comfort and release in prayer
* Taking an outside perspective to avoid stress-induced selfishness

Available from Our Sunday Visitor.