A few weeks ago I was the lucky winner of a giveaway on Instagram where I received a copy of Able Soul: Empowering God’s Spirit Within (ISBN: 978-1-9990326-1-6) by Lucy Goncalves. Goncalves shares her personal testimony of how trusting God has lead to opportunities that otherwise would have been impossible. Living with Cerebal Palsey (CP), Goncalves has struggled not only with a physical disability, but of being pre-judged by others, and often feeling like she had no voice. Yet, through listening to God’s guidance, Goncalves has created an uplifting and encouraging book that will aid readers no matter what season of life they are in. Praise be to God for Goncalves and her testimony – this book has truly been a blessing in my life.
The book contains twenty-one anecdotal stories complete with a spiritual lesson, inspirational Bible verses, and a prayer. “Prayer is the Breath of Life for Our Souls,” spoke to me right at the beginning of me delving into the book. Goncalves writes, “Prayer is essential to our well-being and to the goodness of God that we need to access in order to serve humanity.” In a later story, “Hunger to Serve,” Goncalves explains how serving, loving, and supporting others allows us one to become a vessel of the Holy Spirit. I loved Goncalves lessons, and I took time to reflect on my own acts of service. I want to do more in my daily life to serve and empower others.
Reading through the stories, I was inspired by Goncalves’ positive attitude and her relationship with God. She has overcome so much (aside from her physical disability), and her words encouraged me to reflect on my own personal relationship with God. In addition to wanting to do more acts of service in my daily life, I want to take more time to pray and ensure I watch my weekly church sermons (my congregation is still not meeting face-to-face because of COVID-19). I also want to be more positive, more forgiving, and more open to acknowledging God’s blessings in my life.
Overall, Able Soul encourages one to grow their relationship with God, and teaches the reader that with God all things are possible. I rate this book 5/5 stars, and I recommend everyone, no matter where you are in your spiritual journey with Christ, to pick up this book today!
Order here from Amazon.
“Go ahead and make all the plans you want, but it’s the Lord who will ultimately direct your steps. . .Before you do anything, put your trust totally in God and not in yourself. Then every plan you make will succeed.” – Proverbs 16:1-3 (TPT)