October 2001 (Newstream) -- Stewart House Publishing Inc., a publisher and distributor of family and children's entertainment in North America, will distribute The Serenity Prayer gift package in the retail and gift market Fall 2001. The package includes a music CD single titled simply, "The Serenity Prayer," along with ten wallet cards showcasing the first, most well-known verse of the Serenity Prayer. Also included is a printed version of the prayer, suitable for framing as a keepsake.

The inspirational "Serenity Prayer" song, from Gold Record Award-winning composer/arranger Jack Bielan, is based upon the renowned Serenity Prayer, which has been long regarded as a source of acceptance, courage and hope. This prayer is utilized by hundreds of thousands of North Americans--including those coping with many of life's most significant challenges. Most often acknowledged as a 1926 writing of Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr, the words of the prayer have been set by Bielan within the lyric of an original musical score in this CD single.

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference." The Serenity Prayer, as attributed to Dr. Niebuhr, helped Bielan to find his way along the path of acceptance and recovery following the 1995 death of two of his three children. The complete Serenity Prayer package is an offering of hope as people cope with life's struggles. Being soothed by music, reading the lovely prayer and sharing the wallet cards with others may help consumers to encourage and inspire others as they find their own way along the path to serenity.

Bielan said, "We all--every one of us--experience times of difficulty and loss in our lives. For me, I have found that the words of The Serenity Prayer have often given me courage to persevere. My hope is that "Serenity" may, in some small way, help remind others of God's unconditional love at times when they may be doubting Him more, yet needing Him most."

Availability and Pricing
Available from Stewart House Publishing in November 2001, the Serenity Prayer package (ISBN: 1-55366-993-9) can be purchased at an MSRP of $9.95 US, $14.95 CDN at participating bookstores and gift shops across North America. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of this project will be donated to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) and an Anonymous Program of Recovery for Compulsive Eating (based upon The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous).

About Jack Bielan
As a respected studio keyboardist, arranger, composer and producer, Bielan has performed for many of the music industry's most prestigious labels including Motown and MCA. Over the years, his career in music has allowed him to work with music-industry notables such as James Taylor. Bielan's work on Warner Bros.' chart-topping "Sweet Baby James" album, which remains one of the record industry's all-time best-selling recordings, earned him a Gold Record Award.

Bielan came to write "Serenity" through life's lessons of love and loss. As a custodial father, he and his three children had created a loving, extremely close-knit single parent home.

One weekend afternoon, Bielan was called to help his 17 year-old stepson, Blake, out of a jam. Bielan recalls the relieved look on Blake's face when he showed up--a look that said, "There's my Dad...I knew he'd be there for me."

On the way back, Bielan felt himself filled with immense love and gratitude. For some reason, the Serenity Prayer came to mind and he found himself scribbling on scraps of paper as he drove. By the time he reached home, the lyric to "Serenity" was complete.

Less than one month later, a nearly unspeakable tragedy occurred. Riding together in a van on their way home, Bielan's 14 year-old daughter, Samantha, and her brother Blake were killed by a drunk driver who was driving on the wrong side of the road. Bielan says, "There are no adequate words."

About Stewart House Publishing, Inc.
Stewart House Publishing specializes in the publishing, sales and marketing of products that provide families information through entertainment. Operating offices in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A. and Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Stewart House creates and supports distinctive brand opportunities across all retail channels throughout North America.

Stewart House offers consumers a variety of entertaining topics (sports, business, inspirational, self-help, cooking, home dcor, crafts, youth fiction and board games) in a diversity of formats (books, audio, video and plush toy products). Among Stewart House's best-selling brands are Time Passages Commemorative YearbooksTM, My ArtTM, Klutz, Best of Bridge and Baby Genius. Notable authors include Jamila Gavin, William Nicholson, Jan Fearnley, Sue Warden and Dave Meltzer. Third-party alliances involve Quarry Press, BBC, Egmont and Left-Field Press.