When Life Grabs You by the Baseballs: Finding Happiness in Life's Changeups

By: Jon Peters

Narrated by: Kyle Tait

Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

When dreams collapse...

Jon Peters had it all: record-breaking high school baseball pitcher, on the cover of Sports Illustrated, a beautiful girlfriend. He was going to play professional baseball. He was going to have everything he'd ever wanted. Until a shoulder injury and four surgeries changed his life.

With dreams shattered, Jon struggled to find value and happiness. After years of searching vainly to make sense of it all, alcohol, a suicide attempt, deep-seated anger, and a failed marriage made him feel even more desperate.

When new dreams come...

In the worst place of his life, he reached out and found help and hope. Trading in his old dreams for beautiful new ones birthed out of the ashes of his past, he’s at last found value, fulfillment, and purpose. Now, in When Life Grabs You by the Baseballs, Jon shares the secrets he’s learned to living a happy life. His message is universal: No matter what dreams you've lost or what demons you’re battling, you too can find hope, redemption, and joy.

©2018 Jon Peters (P)2018 Jon Peters

Refreshingly real

As someone who can relate on just about every level with Jon Peters (save for the fact that I’m nowhere close to holding a pitching record), I found deep comfort in knowing that the misfortunes I’ve experienced on my own life’s journey don’t make me an odd anomaly of nature. Jon reminded me that this existence is full of so-called “certainties” that God will allow us to lose through visceral pain, yet with the higher purpose of teaching us what authentic joy truly is. The kind of joy that we believe in our deepest parts isn’t available to “failures” like us. Like Jon, I’ve had my lifelong dreams in my grasp, only to see them slip through my hands by my own poor choices and lack of faith...in God and myself. As Jon’s story relays in such relatable fashion, we all have hope for healing and finding purpose outside the worldly things that serve as poor substitutes for God in our lives.

Thanks for baring your soul for our benefit, Jon. It takes tremendous courage and humility.

A home run.

This Audio is a great inspiration to everyone who has seen their dreams unfulfilled by the many
obstacles of life.

Anyone listening to this Audio Book will find strength from the Writers ability to rise up from the great disappointments he faced in trying to fulfill his dreams.


The Narrator delivered a good performance and made this a good read.




This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

WONDERFUL STORY - GRAB IT BY THE BASEBALLS!

This is a great story about a man's journey through some truly difficult moments in his life, and a heartwarming story of his overcoming obstacles and finding true joy in life. I think most of us can relate in some way to this, truly going through some hard times in life either makes us or breaks us, and discovering what's truly important in life. I applaud Jon for sharing this with us, and hope it can inspire others to trust in God and with that, you can truly find joyful meaning to life. :)
Loved the book and narration, great job!
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Takes you Out to the Ballgame!!

Jon’s story is so unique yet so identifiable for so many at the same time! Listening to the audio book has you on the edge of your seat for games and action from Little Leavue through the high school state championship! Feels like your right there watching! Even if you read the book, I recommend the audio version as well....you will not want to tirn your car off if listening during your commute! Jon lays his whole life out in fromt of us so that we can be inspired to keep fighting the good fight and perservering, Thanks Jon!

Listener Beware

Nowhere in the publisher’s summary does it mention that this is not a book about baseball. If you’re expecting a book about baseball you might be disappointed to find out this is about a baseball player becoming a born-again Christian. If you’re into that sort of thing then, by all means, listen. But I felt a little deceived by the title and the lack of what I would define as an accurate summary by the publisher. It’s a good thing I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.