“Witty, deep, and intensely entertaining, Thoma is a narrative sensei. The whiskeys entice, but it’s the storytelling that will intoxicate you. Like those before it, The Angels’ Portion Volume 5 is genuinely delicious.” —MOLLIE ZIEGLER-HEMINGWAY, Author, Columnist, & Editor-in-Chief of The Federalist

“Thoma is incredibly clever, being careful with his wit and sorting his words so that the reader can’t resist the lure of his narrative style. But often in the midst of his humorism, one realizes he’s not just having fun. He’s teaching, too, and as he does, he reveals a friendly depth as a storyteller that’s refreshing for our day. His observations in all things—literature, family, culture, theology, politics, you name it—cause one to stop and think more intently than before. By the end of each review (if that’s at all what you can call each of the chapters in this delightful volume), you will have discovered something of yourself and the world in which you dwell, and you’ll be better for it.” —DINESH D’SOUZA, Author and Filmmaker

“What do Red Lobster, hairy chests, bird crap, and school picture day all have in common with whisky? Well, on the surface, nothing, which is why you’ll be amazed when you discover how whisky is so intricately woven into the very fabric of existence itself. This is a whisky review book for those who don’t particularly enjoy reading whisky reviews. But it’s also for those who do. Through his imaginative storytelling, Thoma draws you into a seemingly unrelated thread, and before you even realize it has happened, you find you’ve gained significant insight into the whisky that inspired the tale in the first place. Much like a Glencairn glass of your favorite spirit, this is a hard book to put down.” —JARROD LAPATO, Contributor for Bourbon and Banter

“This is one of the most entertaining whisky books I have had the pleasure of reading—humorous and informative at the same time.” —BRETT FERENCZ, Scotch Trooper

“Thoma knows his spirits… The Angels’ Portion is a kind of tithe—a tax we pay on the time it takes to get things right… Praise be!” —THOMAS LYNCH, author of The Sin Eater and The Undertaking

“The battle is won the cruciform way. In every generation, every circumstance, and on every platform, to follow Christ is to persist with strength. Pastor Thoma preaches and teaches this with eloquence. Read what he’s written here and find strength for the journey.” —DR. ALVEDA KING, Founder of “Speak for Life” and a Civil Rights Leader for the Unborn

“Pastor Thoma reminds us that to know Christ is to know real love. This love moves us to devotion. It creates a desire for faithfulness, the kind that seeks and finds what God promises: more and more of His love every day. In a world of increased Christian persecution, The Cruciform Way is a breath of encouraging air. From cover to cover, to read what Pastor Thoma has written is to be blessed through and through.” —RILEY GAINES, Four-time SEC Championship Gold Medal Swimmer

“The Cruciform Way is a great source of encouragement for Christians today as they navigate the confusion of our culture, and Pastor Thoma does a great job with providing rich inspiration for his readers.” —CHARLIE KIRK, Founder and President of Turning Point USA

“The Cruciform Way is the most practical devotional available today. Pastor Thoma captures the issues and answers the questions that most Christians ponder while living their faith.” —LT. GEN. WILLIAM BOYKIN, U.S. Army (Ret), Former Commander of the U.S. Army Special Forces & Founding Member of Delta Force

A collection of short stories, Ten Ways to Kill a Pastor peeks behind the curtain and shines a light into what has become for so many in ministry, a very dark place. From abusive members to impossible schedules often resulting in failing health and family decay, Ten Ways presents church-goers with an opportunity for personal reflection as well as gives voice to the often undetectable “hurts” lurking behind the pastor’s smile.

“Each chapter being a mirror of a pastor’s soul, I highly recommend this as a resource to be studied and discussed by pastors and laypeople alike.” —REV. DR. DAVID P. SCAER, Chairman of Systematics, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Type One Confessional explores in narrative form the struggle to reconcile God’s love in times of crisis. In particular, Reverend Thoma speaks directly to the unexpected and life-altering calamity of his seven-year-old daughter’s diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes. He does this in a semi-fictional way—that is, each of the events included in the volume is true, and yet, even though the back-and-forth engagements between the Creator and one of His pastors are fictionalized, the content within arises from the Word of God—the place where God’s voice is heard clearly and where He meets each human being with the promise of His love in the midst of the darkness of uncertainty.

“Thoma shows us that while God has unique plans for every individual, through the work of Christ, a wonderful plan has already unfolded that is universal in scope and beneficial for all.” —ERIC HIPPLE, Former Quarterback for the Detroit Lions and author of Real Men Do Cry

It appears that something terrible, horrible, frighteningly dreadful has invaded the quiet little home of an innocent family. Oh, what to do in the face of such terror?! This whimsical little tale, illustrated by Meghan Antkowiak, teaches that misinformation and worry have the potential for making the smallest of concerns appear enormous. Stop. Take a breath. Investigate. You may discover that your terrible something is really nothing at all.

Tea with the Moon tells the whimsical tale of a little girl who, when her father calls for her to come inside after a long day of play, is unwilling to go; that is, until he reminds her of the ill-minded insects that will soon be on the scene to snatch her blood and make her itch. Everyone likes to have fun. But in order to have fun again tomorrow, there are things we need to be mindful of and do today.

Thoma explores the depths of worship and its relevance in the lives of children while offering insights which encourage teachers of children to celebrate ancient rites and ceremonies as time-tested tools for building faith.

This book is a must-read for anyone wishing to explore the riches of worship as it relates to serving the Good News of Jesus Christ to young people today. —REV. DR. JON D. VIEKER, Associate Professor of Practical Theology, Dean of Chapel and Chairman of the Department of Practical Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

The Word of God we receive in worship goes with us, out into the world and into our everyday callings as parents and children. Kids in the Divine Service is written for parents and children to read and talk about together. Although some of the vocabulary and concepts may be best understood by children 10 years of age and older, there are many parts of Kids in the Divine Service which can be understood, experienced and appreciated by younger children. Whether a child reads or is read to, parents and children are encouraged to work through the bulletin inserts together and answer questions as they arise. Parents will probably learn something, too.

SPECIALTY VOLUMES

From the Introduction to My Little ABC Book of Horrors by some guy named James Tackleton:

When I set out to create My Little ABC Book of Horrors, I thought, “Why should literacy be boringly forgettable when it can be hauntingly memorable?” Indeed, there’s nothing like a good scare to make the alphabet nibble into and infest your mind. “Plus,” I thought, “think of the broader scope of benefits. Instead of trite things like ‘X is for X-ray’ and ‘Y is for Yellow,’ I could teach a few new concepts, like Xenogenesis, or the terrifying Japanese folklore of the Yokai. Even better, I could encourage mindfulness around woodchippers, and nudge folks toward doing a better job of washing their hands and cleaning their ears.”

With My Little ABC Book of Horrors, each letter of the alphabet brings you closer to a new nightmare, the first more creepy than the last. Of course, it’s all in good fun. Although, if you start hearing sounds beneath your bed, it’s likely just a part of the learning process.

At least, I hope.

There are those people you meet who remind you that the devil and his underlings are indeed prowling. Their heads don’t always spin around. They don’t necessarily spray green vomit onto your clerical collar. They don’t necessarily speak in uninterpretable tongues. But you’re certain they’re possessed nonetheless. Keep an eye on them. Better yet, use this little volume to record their names and the evidences of their possession by the unholy, so that when it comes time to present a case for exorcism before the spiritual authorities, there will be no doubt that the subjects identified within aren’t just inconsiderate jerks who regularly treat you like garbage, but rather are flesh puppets for darker beings.

A great gift for the pastor in your life, this is a lined notebook for journaling—because journaling is therapeutic. Not only can it be an avenue for recording one’s joys, but it can be a healthy means for processing frustrations—especially when, as a pastor, you serve beneath the daily expectation that you’ll happily receive every gritty and ill-intended word or deed with smiling passivity. Something to be kept at the ready on one’s desk, this journal is a pastor’s opportunity to betray the truth hidden behind the smile. So, go ahead and write what you’re thinking. Have fun. Keep it clean. Or don’t. God already knows what you’re going to scribble onto these pages, anyway.