Title: “Focused: I Will Not be Muted”
Author: Cecelia Tetteh
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 9781543499575
Pages: 129
Genre: Religion
Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott

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Debut writer Cecilia Tetteh here shows not only her strengths as a wordsmith, but her
remarkable abilities to overcome extreme adversity and maintain her Christian religious
conviction and practice in her book “Focused: I Will Not be Muted.”

In 2020, Tetteh and her husband Pastor King took on the all-encompassing task of
establishing a new church which would aid the poor and needy through food distribution
and earnest ministry. Tetteh was even then suffering from the after-effects of a vicious
attack that had occurred the year before, but was determined to share in this new
commitment. Even after a debilitating fall caused further injury, she led a congregation
in worship, and her husband urged her to preach one sermon a month and help conduct
other weekly services. Loss of feeling in her legs led to a solemn diagnosis of
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a disease considered incurable. Her husband
arranged a global prayer gathering on her behalf, and Tetteh began to experience “both
challenges and moments of beauty.” She even pursued academic goals and arranged a
special surprise fiftieth birthday party for Pastor King. A niece became her primary
caregiver, able to interpret the author’s increasingly limited gestures and slurred speech
and to transcribe her words into the sermons that comprise a significant portion of this
inspiring work. Further hospitalizations and medical procedures became her norm, with
small miracles, such as the offer of extra health insurance and the discovery, by
accident, that she no longer needed an oxygen machine, offering encouragement. A
newly invented device whereby ALS sufferers could write by eye movements has further
sustained the author’s remarkable capacity to produce messages and sermons that are
such a crucial component of her Christian faith.

Considering the critical burdens of her disease and its effects on her home life and
family, one could reasonably expect her recollections to be imbued with sorrow and
depression; but they are instead an exhortation to readers to spread the Christian
gospel, despite any barriers set in their life’s path. Her sermons are based on biblical
proofs of the need and the rewards for remaining faithful to God’s guidance. One such
powerful sermon is entitled “If Worship Is a Lifestyle, then My Worship Is My Weapon,”
indicating the author’s solid spiritual intention. Tetteh’s chronicle is a day-by-day,
sometimes hour-by-hour, recounting of the progression of her physical traumas,
combined with her widely ranging sermon materials, and her expressions of persistent
courage and appreciation of life’s small joys, providing readers with stimulating focus for
exploration and contemplation.

“Focused: I Will Not be Muted” is an inspiring read that offers both faith and practical
wisdom for those looking to overcome barriers and find their true voice. Whether you
are at a crossroads in your life or simply looking for motivation, this book will offer hope
and a reminder that you are not alone in your journey.