I wanted to take a minute to share the new promotional video that was just released for Anthony Weber’s excellent book Learning to Jump Again: A Memoir of Grief and Hope.

I had the pleasure last year of of reading and reviewing Anthony’s book and interviewing him as well. Links to both of those blog articles are below:

• Book Review
• Interview

I’ve been watching all of the favorite books of 2011 posts popping up throughout the blogosphere, so I figured I should make my contribution.  I’m going to be a bit of a rebel and buck the system by listing 5 books rather than 10.  Drumroll please…..

Shaun’s Favorite Books of 2011

1. The Constantine Codex
	Paul L. Maier is one of my favorite authors of all time.  My first introduction to Dr. Maier’s writing was A Skeleton in God’s Closeton my way back from visiting Concordia Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN back in 1997.  Since then I’ve acquired and read pretty much anything he has put his hand to.The Constantine Codex is the third book in the skeleton series beginning with A Skeleton in God’s Closet in the early nineties, followed by More than a Skeleton in 2003.  All three of these wonderful novels tell the story of Harvard Professor and unwitting adventurer Jonathan Weber. If you’re a fan of biblical archaeology, these books will not disappoint!
2. Deadly Disclosures (Dinah Harris Mystery Series – Book 1)
	It is only recently that I became acquainted with the writing of Julie Cave.  Julie is author of the Dinah Harris mystery series published by Master Books.  Deadly Disclosuresis book one of the series and deals with some pretty heavy issues, including the case for creation / intelligent design over evolution and other raw life issues including tragic loss, depression and alcoholism.  There are several clear articulations of the gospel in the book and overall it shows that Jesus Christ is sufficient, able to heal the deepest of wounds and deliver from even the deepest of hurts. Julie winds a masterful tale is one of the best new authors I’ve encountered during 2011!On a related note, I recently finished The Shadowed Mind (Book 2), which I will be reviewing soon and can’t wait to get started with Pieces of Light (Book 3), which is all cued up and waiting on my kindle.
3. Learning to Jump Again
	Learning to Jump Again is one of those books I never intended to read this past year, but it sort of came across my path at just the right time.  Anthony’s book is a very honest telling of the forceful emotions and spiritual turmoil one experiences leading up to and during the years that follow the loss of a parent.  I saw my own story in so much of what Anthony shared.  For me, reading this book was a cathartic experience. I would recommend this book to anyone who is working through the loss of a parent or other loved one, but my only caution is that this book may be too much for you right after the funeral. I would suggest picking up Learning to Jump Again at least three to six months afterwards.
4. Keep Your Greek: Strategies for Busy People
	After spending all of that time acquiring Greek skills during our college and seminary days, it seems we just can’t find the time to keep up with it as our list of responsibilities always seems to keep going up, while our available time for study and personal development goes in the opposite direction.  Even if your Greek skills have atrophied a bit, don’t despair.  Keep Your Greek has some great ideas to help you get your Greek on and bring out the inner Bible Geek that’s inside of us all.  I would highly recommend this book for any Bible college / seminary student, pastor, or layperson who is interested in or who has ever studied Greek. Even if your interest in keeping up with your Greek studies is limited, you will find something of use here.
5. Luther: Echoes of the Hammer
	As a 33 year old man who reads an awful lot of non-fiction, I honestly don’t tend to read a lot of graphic novels.  As a father of some soon to be teens, who love graphic novels, I’m starting to get into them a bit more.  I’m always on the lookout for good resources to teach them about church history, especially the reformation.  With all of that in mind, I highly recommend Luther:  Echoes of the Hammer.  This book will help readers understand why Martin Luther is considered an important reformer and hero of the church. Excellent writing and beautiful illustrations make this book a joy to read and keep it moving along at a good pace. With the many informational helps included in the book, even readers who are unfamiliar with the terms or people of the reformation period will be able to follow the story with ease.

Several months back Anthony Weber asked me to consider reviewing his new book.  A friend of mine had just recently lost his father to cancer, which had me thinking back to the loss of my own father.  With those two things fresh in my mind, it seemed like a divine appointment for a book like this to come across my path.  Anthony’s book is a very honest telling of the forceful emotions and spiritual turmoil one experiences leading up to and during the years that follow the loss of a parent.  I saw my own story in so much of what Anthony shared.  For me, reading this book was a cathartic experience.  Those who are interested, can find my review of Learning to Jump Again here:  LINK.  Shortly after I finished my review, I contacted Anthony and he was gracious enough to help me put together an interview for Bible Geek Gone Wild.  Anthony, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to share with my readers.

Q:  Welcome to Bible Geek Gone Wild, Anthony. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how long you’ve been writing?

A: I grew up in Atmore, Alabama, but spent most of my formative years near Columbus, Ohio (O-H-I-O!!). My dad taught at Rosedale Bible Institute, a small Mennonite Bible college. I attended Rosedale, then transferred to Cedarville University to finish an English Education major.

While at Rosedale, I met and I married my lovely southern bride, Sheila. In 1997, we moved to Traverse City, Michigan. I am currently teaching part-time at Traverse City Christian School (logic and world views) and Spring Arbor University (as an adjunct at a university center here in town), and pastoring at Church of the Living God. Sheila and I have been blessed with three sons, and we just celebrated our 21st anniversary.

This is my first book, though I have been writing since college (poetry, essays, editorials, etc). I even wrote a novel once just to see if it was as difficult as people say. By the grace of God, the general public has been spared from direct contact with it.

Q:  The cover of Learning to Jump Again, shows a boy staring down from a very high table. You can’t help but think he’s contemplating whether or not to jump down. Is this picture representative of how you felt as you moved through the grieving and healing process?

A: Absolutely. The title comes from an incident during a family vacation. While the boys and I were swimming at a hotel pool, Vincent, my youngest, thought it would be fun to jump into the pool and make me catch him. He got bored, of course, and apparently decided it would be even more fun if he scared me half to death by running to the other side of the pool and trying to jump in to the deep end before I could get there. I got there, but barely.

The more I reflected on that evening, the more it seemed to capture how I felt when my dad died. God was the father; I was the kid running around the pool of life, jumping and knowing God would catch me. When my dad died, I felt like I had jumped -or been pushed – into the deep end, and God had not been there for me. I knew in my head that wasn’t true – during some moments of grief, I experienced times of connection with God that were beautiful. But on a more subjective level, that was how I felt.

Q:  It’s rare that you encounter a book where the author shares their own journal entries, especially about something as personal as the loss of a parent. What made you decide to share your story with a broader audience?

A: Many times, I wondered if what I thought and felt after dad’s death was normal. Some days, dad’s loss seemed insurmountable; most days, God seemed absent from the world. I wrestled with fear, cynicism, and depression. As a pastor and Christian school teacher, I often wondered just how much I should let others see where I was – which is another way of saying who I was.

God eventually brought the stability and freedom that comes from grounding the “who I was” in Him. I began to post some of the journal entries as Facebook notes, and was overwhelmed by the response. At that point, I reluctantly acknowledged that He had brought me through that valley for the sake of others whose stories mirrored mine.

Q:  Having lost my own father, your journal entries resonated with my own experiences. Can you share some of the responses you’ve received from other readers?

A: Though words are inadequate, I’m sorry for your loss, Shaun. I am gratified when readers find that the book resonates…but that also means there is a reason for the resonation, and for that I grieve with them (and you).

There are two responses almost without fail.

First, the experience of reading the journal is cathartic. There is something about knowing we are not alone in our grief that breaks things open. It’s as if the solidarity of grief gives readers permission to fully grieve. I think that’s biblical, by the way. Jesus was “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” Unfortunately, many Christians try to minimize the impact of grief, as if grieving is unspiritual. I believe that the true beauty of hope can only be fully understood after we allow ourselves to settle into the depths of our grief.

Second, readers find hope. Many have shared that their church and their friends were simply not safe enough for them to open up about their journey. Just knowing that they are not alone, and that there are people and places that will embrace them, brings them a measure of peace – and some measure of courage to reach out again to those around them.

Q:  Are there any upcoming books or writing projects you can share with my audience?

A: Too soon, too soon! I would love to write a book about looking at life honestly. Christians often read the Bible in ways that support how they want to the world (or even God) to be, not how the world (or God) actually is. When I preach, I find that I am starting more and more sermons with, “I just want to be honest about life.” If anyone is interested in what this might look like, I am taking this approach as I stumble into the world of blogging (learningtojump.blogspot.com).

In the meantime, I am part of a group in Traverse City (along with my friend Scott Smith, sarcasticxtian.com) that is looking to get a community-wide theology/philosophy group off the ground. For a while, there was a group in town for college students, and we discussed everything: politics, ethics, religion, philosophy, entertainment. I was challenged and invigorated by the civil but direct interchange of ideas between Christians and non-Christians.

We are planning on re-starting this soon. Right now, no one runs a forum like this. How cool would it be if Christians got the ball rolling? Any prayers are appreciated!

Q:  
What advice would you give to first time / aspiring authors?

A: 1) This is not original, but it’s true: write what you know. If it doesn’t flow out of you, let someone else write it.

2) Writing is easier than publishing. If your manuscript is “unsolicited,” you have your work cut out for you. Be sure you are committed.

3) If you can afford to have someone else do your publicity, do it. I am not able to do that, so I am on what I call my “Shameless Self-Promotion Tour.” I basically have to go to everybody and say, “Hey, you should read my book because it’s really awesome!” That’s awkward.  Once the New Year rolls around, I think I’ll change the name to “Toot My Own Horn 2012.”

Once again, many thanks to Anthony for taking the time to participate in this interview. Those interested in learning more about Anthony can follow him on the web at learningtojumpagain.com, learningtojump.blogspot.com, and facebook.

Related Media:

Books by Anthony Weber:

Book Details:
Author: Anthony Weber
Publisher: WestBow Press (2011)
Binding: Paperback
Page count: 164
ISBN: 9781449721305
Where to Buy: Amazon | BN

Recommendation:
Review Date: 11/29/2011 by Shaun Tabatt
Rating: Recommended

Review:
Whether we want to admit it or not, most of us will need to come to terms with the loss of our parents at some time in our lives. When the time comes, we will encounter deep grief and emotion at a level that we generally have not experienced before. It’s almost like a part of you dies when your father or mother breathes their last breath. In Learning to Jump Again, Anthony Weber shares his own story of the devastating loss of his father to a two and a half year battle with pancreatic cancer. Anthony never intend to write a book about his experience, but things changed when he received an overwhelming response to his journal entries after he shared some of them on Facebook. it was obvious that he had struck a chord and he felt strongly that others dealing with this sort of loss would benefit from the story of his journey towards freedom and healing chronicled in his journal.

Learning to Jump Again is divided into three sections. Part one (The Journal) contains entries from Anthony’s personal journal, sharing the raw feelings and emotion he experienced from the time he first learned of his father’s cancer, through his decline and passing, and the aftermath of the eight years following the funeral. Part two (Moving Beyond the Memories) contrasts life’s realities against truths found in God’s word and touches on topics like emotions, dreams, memory, faith, prayer, God and several other related topics. The last part of the book (From Heart to Head) is largely based on essays Anthony wrote for a class he took at Trinity Theological Seminary in Indiana, exploring the problem of pain and evil at a philosophical and theological level. Essays of this sort may at first glance seem out of place in this sort of book, but Anthony shares the reasons he felt it was necessary to include them in the final section of his book:

• “My journal mostly captures the way things are, at least at that point in my life. These essays are an attempt to address the way things ought to be, from a biblical perspective. “
• “My journal recorded what I felt; these essays capture what I believe.”
• “My journal seems to capture a sense of pessimism that does not reflect the life I have today.”
• “I wanted this book to close in a manner that reminds us that, though we grieve, we have a bulwark of truth to support us and a foundation of hope to sustain us.

When the time comes for any of us to face this new chapter in our lives, we will feel like the boy on the cover of the book, staring down and wondering if we are ready to jump again. While we may not be ready to resume normal life immediately following our loss, this book offers a message of hope. Life will not be the same as it was before, but we can find a new sense of normal through the hope and healing available through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Having personally experienced the loss of a father, this book resonated deeply with my personal experience. I would recommend this book to anyone who is working through the loss of a parent or other loved one, but my only caution is that this book may be too much for you right after the funeral. I would suggest picking up Learning to Jump Again at least three to six months afterwards.

Author Information:
Anthony Weber is a pastor, high school and college teacher, coach, husband, and father of three boys. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Education from Cedarville University, and a Master’s Degree in Theology from Trinity Theological Seminary in Newburgh, Indiana.  You can learn more about Anthony Weber and his book at his web site and Facebook page.

Disclaimer:
This book was provided by the author for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

Authors, you meet them in the darnedest places.  For instance, I was at my men’s group at church the other week and I had the pleasure of meeting Marty Hanson.  According to his bio Marty is somewhat of a renaissance man, he is an ordained minister, writer, singer-songwriter, and student of life.  Marty and his wife Donna have five beautiful children.  Last year, Marty published his first book in conjunction with Dr. William A. Kriva.  The book is titled Life Pearls.  As I understand it, the story behind the book is that Marty started sharing some of his writings about his life experiences with William and the correspondence and feedback that took place eventually became the meat of this book.  The book is comprised of twenty one chapters.  Each chapter is made up of a two and a half page story followed by a paragraph long “pearl” that helps to draw the lesson or meaning out of the story and then finally each chapter closes with a notes page for writing down your own reflections, pondering, etc.  The general category for this book is inspirational / devotional.  It is available from Amazon.com and directly from the publisher.