I will admit that I have been prone to feelings of anxiety for most of my adult life. And my anxiety is a very specific fear of illness and death. Sometimes it feels like a curse. It’s my cross to bear. We all have a cross. It can be exhausting. So I pray. And sometimes our prayers are answered in unexpected ways.
Enter Homeschooling
Everyone thought I was crazy. I thought I was crazy. But I was very much called. There was a strong pull that I couldn’t ignore. I needed to homeschool and I had no idea why. Long story short, I trusted this calling and went for it.
When I started homeschooling in 2015, I met so many Catholic homeschooling mommas and I was completely in awe of the peacefulness that they exuded. They would have 10 kids running around them screaming and they seemed completely un-phased. And when I realized that they actually took all of those kids home and schooled them, my mind was completely blown. These women were saints! There was only one thing they all had in common, and it was undeniable. I could see that they were beautiful women of faith. They prayed. They knew so much about our Catholic faith. And it was inspiring. I wanted to be more like them. I wanted to be a beautiful woman of faith. I wanted peace in my heart.
So I can look back NOW and I can see why I was called to homeschooling. I think it was the first step in my growth in faith. I was meant to meet those ladies. Their lights were shining so brightly and they were shining all over me.
Since then, I have been learning and growing and learning and growing. One door led to another and I met so many more beautiful Catholic women that have helped me along the way. One blessing after another came and…
Enter SoulCore
A beautiful friend of mine told me about something called SoulCore. She said that it was exercising while praying the rosary and she thought that I would like it. She was very right! I immediately signed up for a retreat to become a SoulCore leader because I just knew that this was very much for me. I have been teaching group fitness for over 20 years so the idea of adding prayer to movement made perfect sense to me. It was definitely the next step in growing and learning as a Catholic.
SoulCore completely changed everything. I didn’t grasp how beautiful the rosary could be despite the fact that I had been praying it my whole life. Connecting the BODY to the prayer gave me a deep understanding and connection that I can’t even explain. It all just clicked. I am so blessed to have had parents that planted the seeds for me when I was young, because it was like an explosion and everything started to become so clear.
Many more blessings came as I started to learn and teach SoulCore and…
Enter COVID Lockdown
I have anxiety about germs and death, right? Then the world shuts down because of GERMS AND DEATH. This was Armageddon to me. And while I had my moments of fear (who didn’t?), I didn’t fall completely into the black hole of anxiety (the evil) that I have been prone to for most of my adult life. Instead, I took action in the form of prayer (the good). I scheduled virtual SoulCore rosary sessions. I invited friends. And these friends kept me accountable by joining me day-after-day for months as we prayed for the virtues of peace, patience, faith and hope. It was therapy.
Each day that we prayed a SoulCore rosary, I prayed to be released from my anxiety. That was my petition. And after the final day of our 54-day SoulCore rosary Novena, my petition was granted. The anxiety cloud had clearly lifted. I could see things in a new light. I was less afraid of illness and death. I was able to confidently make decisions about my family’s future without being paralyzed by that fear that had held me down in the past. There was no denying it. I was being released from my anxiety by the grace of God. There was no other explanation.
Enter The Rest of My Life
Did praying the rosary everyday for almost 6 months change me? A million percent YES!!! Can I stop there? Absolutely not!
Imagine yourself eating healthy for 6 months, then stopping. Or paying your bills for 6 months, then stopping. It works the same with prayer. When we stop praying, that’s when things begin to fall apart.
The more I pray, the less anxious I become, and I am filled with a greater peace of mind and heart. I can see the difference in my level of anxiety on the days that I miss my prayer time.
After years of regular prayer, hopefully I will be ready to leave this world, I won’t fear illness or death anymore, and I will look forward to the day that I meet God in heaven. That’s eternal life, and that’s what this life is a preparation for. But all this begins with my decision to pray regularly.
Has daily prayer changed your life?
Mind Body & SoulCore 