In Memory of Susan Denise Atkins-Whitehouse
Grateful To Susan
Susan's Final Christian Newsletter
Susan's 61st Christian newsletter
was Susan's final Christian newsletter.
It's dated September, 2002.
Susan tells us
"Grace and Peace are two gifts
God gives each of us every day.
They come to us not by power or might,
but by the Holy Spirit.
Without them surely I would not have survived
and flourished these many long years here at CIW.
Susan's Final Christian Newsletter
Susan's 61st Christian newsletter
was Susan's final Christian newsletter.
It's dated September, 2002.
Susan tells us
"Grace and Peace are two gifts
God gives each of us every day.
They come to us not by power or might,
but by the Holy Spirit.
Without them surely I would not have survived
and flourished these many long years here at CIW.
In every prison there are good and bad things going on every day.
Each prisoner, guard, administrator and support staff
must choose daily whether to use the opportunities
in front of them to do good or to fall prey to the negative.
It's not any different outside the prison walls is it?
Don't you get to choose daily
how you can make a difference?
I can experience God's grace today,
as can you,
when choices - tough choices -
are put in front of me,
and I will experience His Peace when I make the right choices"
Susan goes on to tell us of some of the programs
that are made available to the women in the prison.
Each prisoner, guard, administrator and support staff
must choose daily whether to use the opportunities
in front of them to do good or to fall prey to the negative.
It's not any different outside the prison walls is it?
Don't you get to choose daily
how you can make a difference?
I can experience God's grace today,
as can you,
when choices - tough choices -
are put in front of me,
and I will experience His Peace when I make the right choices"
Susan goes on to tell us of some of the programs
that are made available to the women in the prison.
Susan continues,
"There are at least another dozen or so programs
available through the Chapel, Education Department,
Recreation and Hobbycraft Departments,
that give inmates an opportunity
to learn and grow as people.
It's impossible for any one person
to participate in all of these programs.
However, every time a woman gets involved
in at least one or two of these programs,
their lives are enriched, the community is enriched,
and God's Grace and Peace are made evident.
"There are at least another dozen or so programs
available through the Chapel, Education Department,
Recreation and Hobbycraft Departments,
that give inmates an opportunity
to learn and grow as people.
It's impossible for any one person
to participate in all of these programs.
However, every time a woman gets involved
in at least one or two of these programs,
their lives are enriched, the community is enriched,
and God's Grace and Peace are made evident.
Volunteer work and self help organizations enrich us all.
All over America, in every community there are organizations
that need volunteers to help.
I want to encourage you this month to get involved in your community,
if you are not already.
Be a mentor or a volunteer.
You can make a difference in the quality of life
for those less fortunate than yourself.
If women in prison can choose to make
a difference in their small community,
so can you"
Sound familiar?
Of course it does...
Susan closed her final newsletter;
"Let God's Grace guide you,
and His Peace will sustain you!
I remain your faith-filled sister..."
...and Susan signed her final newsletter.
All over America, in every community there are organizations
that need volunteers to help.
I want to encourage you this month to get involved in your community,
if you are not already.
Be a mentor or a volunteer.
You can make a difference in the quality of life
for those less fortunate than yourself.
If women in prison can choose to make
a difference in their small community,
so can you"
Sound familiar?
Of course it does...
Susan closed her final newsletter;
"Let God's Grace guide you,
and His Peace will sustain you!
I remain your faith-filled sister..."
...and Susan signed her final newsletter.
Why was Susan's 61st Christian newsletter her last?
As we know,
there were issues going on
in Susan's life at this time;
one of which was the confiscation
of her materials, which became an escalating problem
for Susan and her husband,
and eventually turned into a legal conflict.
Conditions became quite trying for Susan and her husband,
as political agendas became involved as well.
As we know,
there were issues going on
in Susan's life at this time;
one of which was the confiscation
of her materials, which became an escalating problem
for Susan and her husband,
and eventually turned into a legal conflict.
Conditions became quite trying for Susan and her husband,
as political agendas became involved as well.
In the epilogue of Susan's book,
her husband tells us "Susan stopped writing the Newsletters
when another young woman at CIW was harassed
for writing a Christian Newsletter and it became obvious the
Warden and Institution were still tying to punish Susan for
talking with [the television journalist].
But by that time Susan was tired of writing every month
and wanted to do it only when she felt led to.
She didn't want it to become a chore.
She started painting more instead,
telling me that at least if she was painting they
couldn't claim she was doing anything illegal"
Susan's husband continued on regarding the political agendas
they had to deal with.
Like Susan had nothing else to do.
her husband tells us "Susan stopped writing the Newsletters
when another young woman at CIW was harassed
for writing a Christian Newsletter and it became obvious the
Warden and Institution were still tying to punish Susan for
talking with [the television journalist].
But by that time Susan was tired of writing every month
and wanted to do it only when she felt led to.
She didn't want it to become a chore.
She started painting more instead,
telling me that at least if she was painting they
couldn't claim she was doing anything illegal"
Susan's husband continued on regarding the political agendas
they had to deal with.
Like Susan had nothing else to do.
Susan's husband concluded the book's epilogue;
"Susan enjoyed writing the newsletters,
and in the end she had a mailing list
of 200 or more people every month.
These include people
in all 50 states and fourteen
different countries. We estimate
Susan hand-signed
and sent out somewhere around
seven thousand of them.
It was always her hope to start
doing it again some day,
but she wanted to wait until
she felt moved to do it"
Here is where Susan's work ends.
Susan never published another Christian newsletter.
How we wish we could have read
Susan's 62nd Christian newsletter.
We are grateful to Susan for giving us
The Dove's Nest Newsletters A Collection of Christian Newsletters.
(All quotes are from
The Dove's Nest Newsletters A Collection of Christian Newsletters
by Susan Atkins-Whitehouse)
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"Susan enjoyed writing the newsletters,
and in the end she had a mailing list
of 200 or more people every month.
These include people
in all 50 states and fourteen
different countries. We estimate
Susan hand-signed
and sent out somewhere around
seven thousand of them.
It was always her hope to start
doing it again some day,
but she wanted to wait until
she felt moved to do it"
Here is where Susan's work ends.
Susan never published another Christian newsletter.
How we wish we could have read
Susan's 62nd Christian newsletter.
We are grateful to Susan for giving us
The Dove's Nest Newsletters A Collection of Christian Newsletters.
(All quotes are from
The Dove's Nest Newsletters A Collection of Christian Newsletters
by Susan Atkins-Whitehouse)
home
