Star Zuniga’s Spiritual Autobiography

Small Girl Big World

The Voice behind the Autobiography

Hello and welcome to my autobiography website where we will explore my spiritual journey through my spiritual autobiography. I am a student at UIW who is double majoring in Theatre Arts and English, and the journal that started off as a class assignment turned into a life changing habit for me. This journal allowed me to rediscover who I was and how connected I felt with my own faith and God. I learned a tremendous amount about building healthy habits to better my mental health and allow my faith to grow each and every day. This spiritual journey felt very powerful and necessary to have, and I am very thankful to have gone through this journey I am about to share with you.

Exploring Self and Faith through Journaling

My journey began as a burnt out and overwhelmed student experiencing about 6 or 7 classes each semester. I was past the point of exhaustion and admittedly, God was nowhere in my mind while I was burnt out. My mother however, would always tell me after my stress started to affect me physically to simply pray to God. “Give everything unto Him”, she would say, and I didn’t understand the importance to it until this class assignment.

Even after starting my spiritual autobiography, my faith didn’t suddenly appear as a strong driving force for me. The process of me getting closer to God took days, weeks even. In fact, I am still working on my connection with Him to this day but I am patient because I know He is with me always, ready with open arms. My entries started off with me questioning the importance of prayer due to personal feelings of prayer feeling unnatural to me.

Exploring Struggle and Mindfullness through Journaling

My journey continued and my class went on a trip to the Little Flower Basilica here in San Antonio, which frankly changed my view on my faith completely. I felt so safe and secure in the Holy space at the basilica, and I learned a lot about Saints and their devotion and love for God. The tour guide said something to me that as a result made me feel more comfortable praying each day, “If you are wanting to communicate with God, why not ask or pray to the people (Saints) who devoted their lives to his Word?”

Thus my habits of praying towards Saints began, mainly Saint Jude, who I felt more connected to because of my mother. My journey continued and today I pray every day and every night before bed, which has helped me mentally throughout the semester. In addition, I also continue to write more entires to allow my thoughts and worries pour onto my journal and out of my mind. This journal changed my life and is continuing to help me ease into life after college with my reestablished connection with God.

Quotes from my Spiritual Autobiography

“Hearing that my burdens of overwhelming stress may lessen if I simply give God control made me emotional and consider why I was so afraid to give up control of my life if it was causing me so much distress. This day involved a lot of deep thinking and praying to God to give me a clear mind to make the right decision for myself regarding my faith and connection with God. “

“i was alone, just me and God, and prayed to Him to give me strength, guidance, and the ability to continue to move forward -- moving forward through all of the struggle was my biggest ask. After having that moment in the chapel, I felt a bit lighter and gentler...”

“The message continued and I felt my body suddenly release the tension that I didn’t know I had in my body, because I truly felt a holy presence with me and the audience after hearing the message. I felt a weight be lifted off my shoulders when the preacher said the final prayer, because I gained so much more information regarding how God can help with anxiety and stress.”

Inspiration from Catholic Women

“This flower, in telling her story, is happy to make known all the gifts that Jesus has given her.”

-St. Thérèse of Lisieux

“If I got down on my knees I thought, “Do I really believe? Whom am I praying to?” A terrible doubt came over me, and a sense of shame, and I wondered if I was praying because I was lonely, because I was unhappy.”

-Dorothy Day

“It is the people who are important, not the masses.”

-Dorothy Day

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