The Book of Life by Ron Stegman

$20.00

Ron Stegman began writing The Book of Life over 50 years ago.  He realized the power of a story to invite inner transformation.  Many stories he wrote about his own life experiences, but he also collected stories that were shared with him along the way…stories of birth and death, wonder and surprise, joy and suffering, earth and its creatures, family life, acts of love, and the mystery of God felt through the human experience.

When Ron met Michele, he showed her the beginnings of his book of life. She was interested in his book – and him.  They soon fell in love and married and decided they wanted to live a life that was different.

They visited India for two months and came back changed by their experience. They had seen people living with joy even in the face of incredible poverty and challenges. They returned to the US and dreamed of owning land, building a house, and living simply.  They bought land in Indiana and started to rebuild an old log house. Many people helped them build their house, through lending hands or prayer.  Anytime they needed something, they prayed, and God provided.  Not always in the way they expected, but miraculously everything came together.

This home led them to welcome a family and a lifestyle cultivating joy, through their family and friends and through their classrooms.  Ron had a long career at St. Xavier High School (Cincinnati), where he pioneered a unique way of teaching religious education and relationships classes through sharing stories, meditation, and reflection.  He also led mission trips to the US-Mexico border and bolstered the school’s mission collection from one that raised hundreds of dollars to a million-dollar fundraiser for projects all over the world, especially India.

All the while, Ron was writing The Book of Life and sharing these stories with his students, faculty, and friends.  And these people, in turn, shared their stories.

The Book of Life weaves Ron’s collection of stories with the life he and Michele built in their home through the blessings of family and many visitors over the years. These stories reveal the goodness cultivated through the openness to experience life differently and a deep connection to people and creation alike.

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