Month: March 2024

This March I have the honor and joy of celebrating the release of God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose, my first book with NavPress and I also get to celebrate the March/April anniversaries of the release of the Trio that started my book journey years ago: Waiting on God Well, Abounding Faith and Crossing Your Jordan River.

I’m grateful that God has allowed me to write FIVE indie Christian living books and devotionals (including By Faith and Feisty Faith), my first traditionally published book with NavPress and to contribute two entries to the Rhythms of Rest devotional from Our Daily Bread’s VOICES Collection (2021).

Yes, I’m holding SEVEN books in the picture above.

I’m so honored that God created, called and chose me to be a writer and author.

Back when I was writing in the diary my Mom gave me when I was a niña, and when I was making mini-magazines out of loose leaf paper in fifth grade, and writing for my high school and college and local newspapers, I had NO thought of writing books one day.

My dream was to write for magazines, and amazingly that came true.

I also wrote for a major newspaper.

But as my journalism career flourished, I grew further and further from God.

When God called me out of my journalism career, my writing went into hiding for YEARS!

God had a plot twist for me, which I share about in my books.

I’m so grateful that God called me to be a journaler, turned journalist, turned author.

It’s been a long and winding road to get here.

I’ve known the highs and lows and challenges of launching five Christian living books and devotionals as an indie author.

Some may look down at that choice, but that was the door the Lord opened first for this Christian Latina Author.

My journalism training definitely helped me publish the books with excellence. Those books have encouraged many near and far. I see my indie books as what it must be like to be an indie filmmaker.

I used the gifts and talents the Lord blessed me with to bless others.

I’m so grateful that I’ve also known the joy of being a contributing writer for a devotional book from Our Daily Bread a few years ago.

Now it’s time to experience the breakthrough of launching my first traditionally published book with NavPress

All glory to God!

It’s been nine years since I released my first book.

The skills and experience I’ve gained during those years have helped me as I’ve worked with my wonderful team at NavPress.

During these years of writing books, I’ve learned:

• God-given dreams take much prayer, patience and perseverance.
• God-given dreams take TIME.
• God was working as I prayed, praised, prepared, planned and put pen to paper.
• God opens doors that no person can shut!
• Our days are ordained by God and our times are in His hands.
• When God says it’s time, it’s TIME!
• We don’t have to just go through the process but we can grow the process.
• God is equipping us along the journey. We can grow and stretch and learn about ourselves, God, others, our craft, etc along the way.

I may expand on these points at a later date.

I’m honored to get to share some insights and lessons I’ve learned along my faith and writing journey in God-Given Dreams.

This new books is one of my writing milestones, BREAKTHROUGHS and God-given dream come true!

It seemed so out-of-reach for years.

This definitely wasn’t an overnight breakthrough, but it’s here now.

It’s right on time according to God’s timetable.

What’s a dream God has placed on your heart?

I hope the Bible verses and prayer prompts and reflection questions in God-Given Dreams will inspire and encourage and empower you to say yes to God’s call on your life.

God knows what’s on the other side of our YES!

God has good works He wants you to do in your home, community, office, classroom, etc.

May you be blessed and inspired as you walk by abounding faith, hope and love and dare to live your God-given dreams.

Let’s shine and soar for Christ!

To God be the Glory!

If any of my books have encouraged or inspired you, I’d love to know. Kind reviews and ratings on Amazon or GoodReads are always appreciated or message me on social media.

I hope you’ll order your copy of God-Given Dreams at your favorite bookstore or any of these sites: 

Amazon
Barnes and Noble’s website
Books-A-Million
ChristianBook.com
NavPress’ website
Target’s website
Walmart’s website

Thanks for your prayers and support!

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Are you part of my email community? Join my email community to get updates about my new book God-Given Dreams and other projects I’m working on as well as encouragement sent straight to your inbox. Sign up right here and get access to a free gift.

What a joy and delight and honor it’s been to celebrate the release of God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose (NavPress)!

God-Given Dreams is now available wherever books are sold and is available in print, as an ebook and as an audio book.

This NEW book will help women of diverse backgrounds, ages and life stages gain the courage, clarity and confidence to say yes to God’s call on their lives.

I’ve shared my heart and soul in this book.

I’m hearing that God-Given Dreams is being described as elegant, warm, inspiring and beautifully written. Praise God!

I’m thrilled to know that God’s beloved daughters near and far can now read God-Given Dreams and be inspired, encouraged and empowered to say yes to God’s call on their lives.

There’s no way to fully describe the feeling of this writing BREAKTHROUGH and MILESTONE AND GOD- GIVEN DREAM COME TRUE!

What a joy and whirlwind this whole process has been!

I definitely didn’t get here on my own. I’m so grateful to God and for everyone who has been praying for and encouraging me and ordering copies of God-Given Dreams.

I so appreciate your Likes, Comments, Shares, Follows and social media, etc.

I’m looking forward to reading your kind reviews on Amazon or GoodReads or on social media.

LAUNCH WEEK RECAP

Launch week started with a lovely private Zoom for Family and Friends on the Saturday prior to release day. I love being able to celebrate this milestone with mi familia and a few friends I’ve known for years.

Can you believe the global social media outage happened right during the time I was going to do my Facebook Live on launch day? My livestream was only slightly delayed on Tuesday. You can watch the replay right here.

Wednesday was such a blessing …

“Thank you sister Nancy for the word of encouragement and inspiration!! Awesome!!” – Christian Working at the United Nations

What an absolute honor it was to get to speak to my friends who work at the United Nations! They blessed me more than they know I’m told 12 nations and 6 continents were represented in the Zoom with more folks watching the replay.

Some of the countries represented included:

• Bangladesh
• Botswana
• Canada
• Ethiopia
• Finland
• Germany
• Ghana
• Kenya
• Nigeria
• Philippines
• Uganda
• Zimbabwe

If you know me, you know I love speaking to the nations

They thanked me for sharing a timely and encouraging word. Glory to God!

They said they felt:

Inspired

Motivated

Thankful

Grateful

Challenged

I rounded out launch week doing a lovely joint devotional time on International Women’s Day with my CWEN Sisters.

Do check out my social media and Abounding Faith’s YouTube Channel and the Abounding Faith for Today podcast (wherever you listen to podcasts) to be part of the celebrations.

MY HEARTFELT THANKS

When words fail me, pictures help me to express myself.

This quick recap video is my way of sharing the joy of launch week and also to thank “my village” including:

My Wonderful Team at NavPress – Thank You for saying yes to this book! I pray this empowering book will be a blessing to many women near and far and will be translated into many different languages.

Mi Familia & Friends – Thank you for helping me kick of this launch week. It was my first book launch after my Dear Dad’s promotion to heaven. He would’ve been thrilled to see all of you there helping to celebrate this milestone.

My Endorsers – Thank you for your kind words and for helping to spread the word about this inspiring book:

• Joyce M. Dinkins
• Rebecca Garcia
• Edward Gilbreath
• Anthony Hewitt
• Chris Luppo
• Rev. Elizabeth Tamez Méndez, Ph.D.
• Rochelle Traub

The New York School of the Bible – I’m so grateful to the NYSB for helping to spread the word about this inspiring book among faculty and students.

INTERVIEWS

Thank you to those who have interviewed me recently including:

• Ann Voskamp – Here’s a link to my guest blog on her lovely site.
• Rapt Interviews – Here’s a link to the interview I did with them.
• Brian Allain of Find Your Next Calling – Here’s a link to my recent interview.

Please be blessed by this articles, excerpts and conversations. There are a few more to come so stay tuned.

MY STORY

If you’re not familiar with my story, I’m blessed to be the daughter of two loving and hard working parents who emigrated to the United States (separately) from their respective countries in Central and South America decades ago I’m so grateful that they were both the first in their families to board planes bound for the U.S. as young adults

I’m a native New Yorker and a journaler turned journalist turned author

I’m thrilled that God-Given Dreams has now been released into the world.

GOD-GIVEN DREAMS BOOK

God-Given Dreams is sure to inspire, encourage and empower God’s beloved daughters to be the fabulous, fierce and fruitful women God has called them to be.

I’m sharing parts of my faith journey as well as Bible verses and Bible characters who have inspired me, the Six Cs of Transformation that I prayerfully created for my coaching clients and Bible school students, prayer prompts and action step ideas.

The reflection questions at the end of each chapter are perfect to answer solo or with small groups, Women’s Ministries, book clubs, cohorts, etc.

I hope you’ll order your copy of God-Given Dreams today at your favorite bookstore or any of these sites:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble’s website

Books-A-Million

ChristianBook.com

NavPress’ website 

Target’s website

Walmart’s website

Kind reviews and ratings on Amazon or GoodReads are always appreciated.

SPECIAL PROMO CODE

Save 30% when you order a printed copy of God-Given Dreams and use the promo code DREAMS30 only on NavPress.com. Offer only valid for orders in the United States. This special offer is valid for a limited time so order today!  Good through 6/30/2024.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16 NIV)

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Are you part of my email community? Join my email community to get updates about my new book God-Given Dreams and other projects I’m working on as well as encouragement sent straight to your inbox. Sign up right here and get access to a free gift.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

“God loves it when we take Him at His Word. The more we consider the greatness of our God, the more our faith in Him will arise and abound.”  – Nancy Gavilanes, God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose

I’m so thrilled and honored that God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose (NavPress, March 5) is ONE DAY AWAY from being released into the world!

You can watch a super short video showcasing the book right here.

You’re Invited to join me for a special Facebook Live on Abounding Faith’s Facebook page tomorrow, March 5 at 12 pm (EST) to celebrate the release of God-Given Dreams! Come and hear an excerpt from God-Given Dreams and find out how ONE winner will receive a free copy of God-Given Dreams.

All Glory to God for allowing me to experience this long-awaited breakthrough and God-given dream come true.

It’s been a long and painstaking journey to get here.

Back when I was a journalist, I was experiencing lots of success in a short timeframe. I was pursuing my dreams and accomplishing many of my career goals, but still feeling empty. I had been running from God.

But God had a plan and plot twist for my life.

After years of being trained and prepared in the wilderness and obscurity, I’m now living many of my God-given dreams.

What a difference that’s made!

Throughout the pages of this empowering book, I share some of my story and lessons and insights I’ve learned along the way and Bible figures who have encouraged me.

I wrote God-Given Dreams because over the years I’ve met women of different backgrounds and ages and ethnicities and life stages and races who have a desire to live their God-given dreams and purpose but they feel insecure and inadequate.

Many feel misunderstood or underestimated or even marginalized.

I wrote God-Given Dreams to empower, encourage and inspire God’s beloved daughters.

God loves you.

Your God-given dreams matter!

Here are the words from the back cover of God-Given Dreams:

Are you struggling to find your purpose? Do you battle with feelings of insecurity, doubt, or fear of being unqualified or unworthy? Are you looking for inspiration and empowerment to live out your God-given dreams? God has given you strengths and a divine purpose, but sometimes life has a way of beating us down and robbing us of our confidence.

If you’re struggling with feelings of unworthiness, inadequacy, or invisibility, God-Given Dreams offers hope and encouragement through six transformative truths—that you are Created, Called, Chosen, Conformed, Clothed, and Commissioned—which will help you break free from the chains of doubt and fear.

Uncover just how precious you are to your heavenly Father and become the fabulous, fierce, and fruitful woman God has called you to be.

You can still preorder God-Given Dreams today at various sites including:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble’s website

Books-A-Million

ChristianBook.com

NavPress’ website 

Target’s website

Walmart’s website

Preordering books sends the message to the publishing world that books like this inspiring one by a Christian Latina author matter.

A kind Amazon or GoodReads review and rating are greatly appreciated.

Please help make sure this empowering book gets in the hands of women near and far.

Great news! I’m sharing a special promo code for God-Given Dreams with my Abounding Faith’s Email Community. If you’re not on my list, you can join right here.

Thanks for your prayers and support!

What People Are Saying:

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Are you part of my email community? Join my email community to get updates about my forthcoming book and other projects I’m working on as well as encouragement sent straight to your inbox. Sign up right here and get access to a free gift.