Announcing:
Saint Mary's Press winner for the week of March 27, 2009!
Congratulations to Sally Donnelly!

Sally Donnelly will receive a copy of Stressbusters for Teens, a $16.95 value.

These colorful cards and fun stress ball guide teens to overcome stress and anxiety.

Stressbusters for Teens provides simple creative exercises and relaxation techniques for teens to overcome anxiety and promote physical and emotional well-being. Teens can use this deck of cards (and the stress ball!) and come away with useful skills to make life better and less stress filled. The card deck includes ideas on using the Stressbusters alone or with a group.


Five Unique Categories!

• Creative
• Mental
• Spiritual
• Physical
• Social
  Look Inside: You can view an online sampler of the Stressbusters for Teens on the SMP Web catalog. Search for "Stressbusters," or use this link to go to the product description, http://www.smp.org/ItemDetail.cfm?ItemNum=3454.
  
  Stressbusters for Teens, by Lorraine Kilmartin
  ISBN 978-0-88489-981-5, 54 cards and stressball, $16.95,
  http://www.smp.org/ItemDetail.cfm?ItemNum=3454

April Stress Awareness Month
by Ginny Halbur

The month of April has been designated as Stress Awareness Month. Webster's dictionary defines stress as "a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation." At the heart of stress is usually some conflict or problem that is causing us to be angry, fearful, anxious, worried, tense, or depressed. In order to really deal with stress in our lives we need to address the problems and conflicts that are the cause of stress. Even though we may not always be able to eliminate the stressors in our lives, we can do some things to lessen the effects of stress. The following ideas are adapted from Stressbusters for Teens.

• Share your concerns with a family member or friend who is a good listener.
• Change the way you think about the situation you are in, don't deny the stress exists but find a way to handle it little by little.
• Don't compare yourself to anyone else and have confidence in the gifts you have been given.
• Practice positive self-talk and don't feed self-defeating thoughts.
• Clear your mind of things you need to do by writing it down on paper or getting it on the calendar.
• Visualize a place or time where you feel stress-free and put yourself in that picture.
• Take an honest look at your expectations and give yourself permission to slack off a bit.
• Nature can have a calming effect on our lives so get out and take a walk or tend a garden.
• Do something creative like playing music, painting, or some other artistic endeavor that can help you release pent-up emotions.
• Exercise! It increases your heart rate and is an effective stress reliever.
• Pray! Meditation, mantras, and other forms of prayer can help us let go of our stressors and place our trust in God.
• Seek professional assistance, especially if the stressor is posing a risk to your health.

Helping Youth Be Active in the Parish
by Javier Bravo

There are many parishes who have already celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation, and there are others who are still waiting for the Bishop to come by and celebrate this great sacrament with them. The challenge before us now is to help the youth continue to be active in the parish. This must be a conscious effort on our part.

Next time you see a young member of your parish who you know has a good strong voice, ask the youth if he or she would be open to being a lector at Mass. In the same manner, next time you are tempted to turn around to put a face to the soft but pleasant voice singing behind you take the time to talk to the youth after Mass, and ask if he or she would be open to singing in the choir.

These tend to be the obvious choices but there is so much more our youth could do. We need to invite our youth to be ushers and greeters or help watch the youngsters during the Liturgy of the Word for children. We need to portray to them the message that they are valuable in the parish community. Be an active recruiter of youth. Greet them, swing by the youth group meeting or challenge them to play volleyball against a group of adults. You may be happily surprised to see how many respond.

See You at NCEA!

Saint Mary's Press will be attending the 2009 National Catholic Education Association Conference from April 14-16.

Development Editors Steven McGlaun and Christine Navarro will be hosting a workshop called Meeting of the Secular and Sacred: What do Contemporary Educational Methods Have to Offer High School Theology Teachers? and you are personally invited to attend. The workshop will be from 1:15-2:30 p.m. on April 15 in Room 303B.

We would also love to see you in our booth! Stop to see our newest releases and take advantage of our show specials, including
* Saint Mary's Press College Study Bible for $26 (save $6.95!)
* The Catholic Youth Bible for $20 (save $4.95!)
* Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics for $16 (save $3.95!)
* Free shipping on orders shipping within the continental U.S.

For more information or to register for NCEA, go to http://ncea.org/events/NCEAConventionCentral.asp

These specials are available only at the 2009 National Catholic Education Association Conference, on paperback editions.