He Called Me Sister - Book Review

 

Title: He Called Me Sister; A True Story of Finding Humanity on Death Row

Author: Suzanne Craig Robertson

Publisher: Morehouse Publishing

Publication Date: February 21, 2023

Length: 240 Pagest the Author

Suzanne Craig Robertson is a former legal magazine editor and bar association communicator. She holds a Master of Arts in writing and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Death Row Ministry 
The story begins with Alan Robertson volunteering when representatives of the Southern Prison Ministry visited Glendale Baptist Church in Nashville, recruiting

people to visit Death Row inmates. The death row inmate assigned to Mr. Robertson was Cecil Johnson.

This opportunity to serve soon included the entire Robertson family. Alan, Suzanne, and their children would write letters, accept phone calls, and visit Cecil on death row. Their relationship lasted for 15 years. Cecil Johnson was executed by the state of Tennessee on December 2, 2009.

This poignant story tells about the journey.

My Thoughts

Ms. Robertson said they went to death row to minister to Cecil, but it was soon evident that Cecil was ministering to the Robertson family. 
Cecil Johnson had a strong Christian faith and maintained his innocence to the end. 

The beauty of this book is the relationship that grew over many years. Cecil became a member of the Robertson family. It did not matter that Cecil was black and the Robertsons were white. It did not matter that Cecil grew up in an environment of extreme poverty and the Robertsons were affluent. It did not matter that Cecil was a convicted murderer. 

The Robertsons did hit a few bumps in the road during their friendship with Cecil. Sometimes friends did not understand why they would associate with a murderer. The legal appeals process was long and complicated. Then there was the day of the execution. 

The last several chapters tell of the days after the execution when Suzanne tried to figure out what went wrong and why Cecil did not get a fair trial in the court system. This part of the book bogged down a bit with details about lawyers, judges, and the legal system. 

I am so glad this book was written and I hope it will inspire other Christians to reach out to those who are locked up and forgotten.

My Rating; 4 Stars Out Of 5

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Book Review: 40 Days Without Food

This is the story of a young man's spiritual quest to find purpose in his life. He embarks on a 40 day journey of self-discovery and intimacy with God. He eats no solid food for 40 days and survives on fruit and vegetable juice.

 What can you learn from a 40 day fast? Does this experience help you discover the things that are MOST important in life?  40 Days Without Food; Divine Goodness To A Starving Soul, by Russ Masterson, will answer these questions and many more.

About The Author
Russ Masterson lives with his wife and two young daughters in Atlanta, Georgia. He received a BBA from University of Georgia and a Masters of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a writer and pastor to college/20′s/30′s at The Church of the Apostles in Atlanta.

Favorite Quotes
As I read this book, I found myself highlighting many memorable passages. I would like to share a few of my favorite quotations from this book.

"We need something beyond shiny leaves, success and vanity. Affluence and struggle will both blow against us. Impatience will swirl, and unbelief will howl, but if we are wrapped in Christ's love, our roots will shoot deep----deep they'll run, through the shifting soil." 

"I closed my eyes and God's love spoke to me. "You are not alone in this. I have blue skies for you." It's easy to become consumed by regret of the past or fear of the future, to analyze or plan till you're stuck in the gray. But this promise----you are not alone in this----changes everything."

"But I realized this morning, like a revelation from God, that failure may be a comment on my abilities, but not on my value."

"I think the lesson in this is for us to refuse to treasure things that can't love. Things can entertain us, clothe us, and transport us, but they can't love us. "

My Thoughts
The title of this book literally grabbed my attention and I felt like I had to read it. I was not disappointed. I really didn't think he would be able to continue for 40 days without any solid food. He DID complete the fast!
I want to make it clear that food is not the main theme of this book, this book is about spiritual discipline, growth and faith in God.
Russ Masterson shares his victories, doubts, weaknesses and strengths in this inspiring memoir. At the end of the book, the author offers some tips on the practicalities of fasting.
This is a very worthy book to add to your Christian book collection. I think it delivers a powerful message for all ages. God is speaking to us today just like he spoke to Mr. Masterson..."You are not alone in this. I have blue skies for you".

Disclosure: I received a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review from the Tyndale House Publishers.

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