In the Lord's Eyes

Mama s Pearls is the sixth book in author Charlotte Johnson s series of motivational text. This book is a very poignant chronicle of the faith, wit, and the down home charm of Ms. Johnson s mother, Evelyn Russell. Loyal fans of Ms. Johnson have already developed a feeling of closeness to her mother, affectionately called Mother Russell. Throughout Ms. Johnson s books, her mother serves as a spiritual mentor teaching her about love and redemption through her selfless love. Mother Russell loves, when it seems that her daughter is beyond change and is unwilling to embrace her mother s instructions. Mother Russell is a paradox. She is both a spiritually mature student of the Bible, while maintaining her down home folksy charm, sharp tongue, and nostalgic stories of her youth that serve to entertain the reader. These stories offer inspiration, encouragement, hope, and motivation. More importantly, these oral traditions serve as method of handing down the wisdom of times past. A mother s love can be essential to a child s emotional well-being and character development. Charlotte Johnson shares her mother with the world to offer hope and encouragement in troubled times. This book is excellent for those in need of hope, seeking a miracle, searching for a way to maintain their faith, or looking for an uplifting and humorous book. Mother Russell grew up in a family where oral storytelling was a method of passing family wisdom and traditions to the younger generations. She passed these stories onto her children. These stories are a combination of Mother Russell s life experiences and oral traditions passed from her father. My heart was touched when Ms. Johnson wrote earlier in her series, Mama whydo you still care? Mama s Pearl answers why a mother still cares when all hope is gone and the world has given up on her child. As Ms. Johnson explores her family s past in order to bring light and perspective to the present, Mama s Pearls is reminiscent of Alex Haley s Roots.

Charlotte Russell Johnson is the founder of Reaching Beyond, Inc. and Reaching Beyond the Breaks Ministries. She is a writer, motivational speaker, and Christian evangelist. Mrs. Johnson gained national fame following the release of her first novel A Journey to Hell and Back. In the past four years, Ms. Johnson has penned four additional books: Daddy's Hugs, Grace Under Fire: The Journey Never Ends, and The Flipside: A Journey to Hell and Back, and Mama May I. At the tender age of three, her father died unexpectedly. At an early age she was sexually abused and exploited by a family member, at fifteen, she had her first child, at eighteen, and she became a victim of domestic violence. Struggling with feelings of blame, shame, and guilt, Ms. Johnson journeyed on a destructive path that nearly destroyed her. Ultimately, hitting bottom emotionally, Ms. Johnson believed the only way to change her destructive lifestyle was to help prevent others from making the same mistakes. She has devoted her life to this cause. Putting her plan into action, she enrolled in college and pursued a pardon from the governor of the state of Georgia. Graduating with academic honor, Ms. Johnson has a BS in Health Science and a minor in Criminal Justice from Columbus State University where she graduated Phi Kappa Phi and magna cum laude. In pursuit of higher education, she earned a Master's degree in Community Psychology in Counseling from Troy State University. She has also attended the doctoral programs of Southern Christian University and Beacon University. She plans to complete her doctorial degree in Christian Counseling. However, she states that her GED remains her proudest degree.She has had an active prison ministry for more than fourteen years. Ms. Johnson served as the New Connections to Work Coordinator at Columbus Technical College in Columbus, GA when the school began a collaborative partnership with other state agencies to change the face of welfare. Later, she served as the Community Resource Development Coordinator with the GA Department of Family and Children Services for Region VIII. Her work has encompassed helping inmates, victims of AIDS, teenage mothers, welfare recipients, and substance abusers. She was instrumental in establishing Teens Empowerment Awareness with ReSolutions, Inc. (TEARS) based in Phenix City, AL. Her passion is to help others make the transition from victims to victors.