There comes a moment
when the soul no longer wrestles
with what it has lost—

but remembers
who it belongs to.

Reflections on God’s gift of flesh and soul, and man’s mistaken belief in his own power over evil.
Written in 2008 to celebrate the life of my best friend and beloved brother. Francisco Carlos de Sousa.

A body without a soul, in this world,
is the end of the matter—

left to decay,
consumed by worms,
and meaningless
to those who walk in the light.

Yet the fullness of our being
is God’s will for humanity:
the harmonious perfection,
the sacred communion
of both body and soul.

A soul without a body
is, to this world,
like ether in the air—
unseen,
untouchable.

Its existence mirrors
the faith of the godless man:
lost,
without purpose,
unable to grasp
the substance of truth.

I belong to no evil.
My body yields
to God’s will
through the surrender
of my being.

Through obedience
to His Word,
I have dominion
over my flesh—
its wants,
and its needs.

My soul remains pure,
dwelling among the saints
who are my family on this earth.
Therefore,
I need not die
to enter heaven,
for my spirit already lives
in peace—
in the abundance
of God’s goodness.
⸻
I, a saint,
live and belong to God
among those of my world—
where no religion
or doctrine
can enchant or bind my soul,
and where the freedom of Jesus
continually knocks
within my being.

Even here,
I am held.
⸻
Part of the “Aligned & Restored” series — reflections written in dark seasons to reveal the light of God’s love.

A WOMAN IN GRIEF
The Power of Transformation

Before every testimony, there is a story.
Before every healing, there is a place of pain.

The Lady in Grief is not just a collection of writings—
it is the journey of a soul transformed by the love of God.
— ✧ —
Dedication

My love for writing began in my childhood in Brazil, when I first saw life through the eyes of a child embraced by the pure and powerful love of God. As a mother, that same love flowed through me to my children. It is for them—that they may know and walk in the love of God—that I dedicate this collection of poems, prayers, and reflections.

Through my sons—José Felipe, João Vitor, and John Gustavo—I have come to know the unfailing love of God in a deeper way. As a mother, daughter, sister, and redeemed child of God, my writings stand as a testimony of gratitude for the salvation and transformation I have found in Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

For until I encountered Jesus supernaturally on January 16, 2002, I lived as a woman in grief. But His salvation transformed me, and now I live with joy unspeakable. This is why I boldly declare: I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, for it is the power of God unto salvation.

Romans 1:16 (KJV) — “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

1 Corinthians 13:8 (KJV) — “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”
— ✧ —

The Kaleidoscope of My Life with God

The kaleidoscope of my life with God’s presence is revealed through my writings. In every poem, article, devotional, testimony, reflection, and prayer, there is a piece of my heart—filled with the love of God for my soul and the partnership I share with His Holy Spirit.

He has entrusted me with His heart’s burden for souls—the struggles of humanity and the conflicts of this world. I am only an empty vessel, used to express His love, His justice, His sorrow, and His longing for a personal relationship with His creation.

I am just a little pen in the hands of a mighty God—reaching through me to the hearts of His beloved children.

This is why my personal tagline declares:
“I am in the WORD, to CHANGE the world!”

Welcome to the journey.

The Road Less Traveled.

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3, KJV)

About yourself, about others, so you may have compassion and humility whenever you feel hurt, mistreated, rejected, or despised, said the Spirit of the Lord to me today.

The Word from Jeremiah above, along with the reflection that follows, is meant to minister to the hearts of those reading this message, just as it has ministered to me. Sometimes, we find ourselves jumping into the wagon of judgment, with criticism as our driving force, because we carry scars from judgmental systems that have shaped our motives.

It is only when Jesus Christ becomes alive within us through the Word of God that we begin to recognize that we have all sinned against God’s will for our lives.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23, KJV)

“Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” (Psalm 2:8, KJV)

Through His love and compassion, God the Father brings us back into His Kingdom, not so we can become judges of others through self-righteousness, but to equip us as His warriors and messengers of the Gospel of Love.

We cannot be effective for the Kingdom of God when we forget our own frailties and focus only on the frailties of others. The Word of God teaches us to care for others as we would want to be cared for:

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Matthew 22:39, KJV)

This means that when we are judgmental toward others, we are hindering our own spiritual growth. Grace is not about ignoring sin, ours or that of others. Rather, it is the divine foundation that shapes our being and empowers us to live in righteousness, so we do not sin against our brothers or against ourselves.

“But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.” (Deuteronomy 30:14, KJV)

Note that it is the Word of God—Jesus Christ Himself—who is near, in our mouths and in our hearts, enabling us to obey. Without Him, we are unable to live the abundant life God intends for us.

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10, KJV)

So, obedience is a clear sign that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is alive and active within us.

Let us not only teach JESUS, but live Him daily, in humility, in love, and in surrender, as we walk this road less traveled.

I am in the WORD to CHANGE the world.

A Prayer for the Weary Heart

Heavenly Father,

In moments when my heart feels heavy, misunderstood, or wounded, draw me closer to You. Teach me to fix my eyes on You, and not on my pain. Remove every spirit of judgment within me, and replace it with compassion, humility, and Your perfect love.

Lord Jesus, live richly within me. Let Your Word dwell in my heart and flow from my mouth, that I may walk in obedience and reflect Your light to others, even in my brokenness.

Help me to surrender my ways, my thoughts, and my understanding, and to trust fully in Your will. Strengthen me to walk the road less traveled, knowing that You are with me every step of the way.

In Jesus ‘ mighty name,

Amen.

Like the lotus that must rise through murky depths to bloom in the light, our greatest transformations often begin in the dark seasons of grief. What appears buried, cut down, or forgotten is not always finished. Beneath the surface, something unseen may still be alive.

This piece was originally written in 2020, during the height of the global pandemic and a season of deep national uncertainty surrounding the elections. The atmosphere was heavy with fear, division, and grief. I wrote these words as an offering of hope, to lift the sadness and quiet the despair that seemed to blanket our nation and the world. Looking back now, I recognize this reflection as more than timely encouragement; I see it as one of the prophetic articles the Lord entrusted to me. A word that continues to speak beyond that season.

Uncertain times were upon us. We witnessed the frailty of human systems and the limitations of leadership in addressing the magnitude of what the world faced. The structures we trusted seemed unable to steady the storm. Yet Scripture reminds us that our reliance must rest not on shifting foundations, but on the eternal Word of God. He who gives, guides, and directs through all generations. He is the Alpha and the Omega.

At the scent of water, it will flourish.

They have cut down the robust tree,
The tree that was full of life;
They have leveled it to the ground.
The fruits it once produced are gone.

Even the believers are saying:
“This story ended before it was finished;
Our dreams of prosperity and peace vanished
In the blink of an eye.”

But I say to you, America: Praise God!
The answers to our problems will come from heaven,
And the final word, the sovereign word,
Still belongs to the Lord.

Some say only the roots are left, and that they are rotting.
But God says, “There is still life there, and I will restore it.”
Hope for the tree that was cut down belongs to Him.
At the scent of water, it will bud again.

Its roots are deep within the heart of the earth.
So, even if the trunk looks dead upon the surface,
Listen carefully to what God says
And believe His promises for our land.

There is still hope for our future.
Our joy will return with the sound of louder laughter.
All things will return to righteousness.
The water is already present through our prayers,
Nurturing the tree that was severed.

What a beautiful testimony we shall have to tell.
We will say:
“We were a tree cut down to the stump,
But we saw God restore our lives.”

We praise God for the fulfillment of His promises.

The final word over our future has always belonged to Him.

We were like a tree leveled to the ground,

cut down, stripped, and left exposed.

Yet at the scent of water, He restored our dreams.

He restored our faith.

When we were cast down,

He raised us to our feet.

He restored our homes and our families.

And we shall serve Him, our God, with joy.

For the roots were never dead, they were only waiting for the water.