Happy Hispanic Heritage Month 2024 & My Loaves & Fish

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15). As we kick off this month of celebrating the fantastic contributions and culture of Latinos/Hispanics living in the United States, I’m celebrating being a Christian Latina Author (year round).

Some of my loaves and fish are pictured above 🙌 (Click here to watch the video clip.)

When God called me out of my journalism career, I had NO idea that one day I’d be an author or writing devotional articles for the Our Daily Bread devotional that’s available worldwide 🔥

My writing went into hiding for Y E A R S …

But God had a plot twist.

God is the Author of our story 🙌

I’m grateful to be the daughter of two loving and hard-working parents who boarded planes (separately) from Central and South America to move to the United States decades ago. They met and married in the U.S. I’m grateful to be a first-generation Latina American who’s sharing some of the insights and lessons I’ve learned along my faith journey.

It’s been a long and winding road, but I’m delighted to be in this season for such a time as this.

What’s in your hands? What is God calling you to surrender to Him?

I pray my books and devotional articles will encourage and inspire you as you walk by abounding faith, hope and love and dare to live your God-given dreams 💕

Thanks for your continued support and prayers for this Christian Latina Author. It sure does mean a lot to me. And your support for my work makes a huge difference in the Christian publishing world.

I hope you’ll take a moment to buy copies of God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose (NavPress) for yourself and for the phenomenal women in your life.

Please take a moment to leave a kind rating or review on Amazon or Goodreads and follow Abounding Faith on social media.

The more support you show for Latina authors like yours truly, the more inclined publishers will be to release more books by even more Latina authors.

Thanks for staying on this faith journey with me. To God be the Glory!

P.S. Don’t forget that my sixth article is appearing in the Our Daily Bread devotional tomorrow, Tuesday, September 17. Hope it encourages you.

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Happy Hispanic Heritage Month & “Dear Younger Me Series”

I recently shared a series of TBT posts on social media that chronicled part of my writing and faith journey. As part of my Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations (September 15 – October 15) this year, I’d like to share those posts here in case you missed some of them and so they’re all in one place. I hope you enjoy this walk down memory lane through the pics in this short video (click on the pic above or here) and the captions below. It’s been a long journey for this Christian Latina writer to get to this season. Thanks for staying on this journey with me! Stay tuned for info about my upcoming book and other projects I’m working on. Blessings!

April 13, 2023 Post

TBT Dear Younger Me: Keep enjoying the bedtime stories Mom lovingly reads to you over and over again 💕

And keep practicing until you can read for yourself and keep scribbling away until you learn how to write ✍️

One day you’re gonna be writing for renowned newspapers and magazines and even authoring books!

Your bilingual kindergarten is gonna help you in your Spanglish world.

Don’t let anyone set limits on what you can and can’t do.

Relish the great times with Dad 💖

Keep wearing red 😎

Rock the bangs & two ponytails as long as you want 😀

May 4, 2023 Post

TBT Dear Younger Me: There’s a reason you feel drawn to join the school newspaper and to volunteer in the school’s library 📚

✍️ Keep writing

✍️ Keep telling stories

🎙️ Keep speaking up

You’ll grow out of many phases (including that stuffed cow phase, LOL) but you won’t grow out of writing and creating ✍️ 🔥 🙌

Keep shining 👑

Note: This photo ran in my high school’s newspaper when I reluctantly became the Editor-in- Chief my senior year.

May 12, 2023 Post

TBT Dear Younger Me: Writing for your high school and college and weekly papers is gonna lead to writing for a global newspaper, national women’s magazine, your own blog and to authoring books!

Your words are going to touch readers near and far 💕

Don’t get discouraged if you’re the only (or sometimes one of the few) Latinas in the classroom, newsroom or office. Keep writing anyway ✍️✍️✍️

🔥 Your words matter

🔥 Your story matters

🔥 You are making a difference

P.S. Technology is gonna get super advanced so get ready, and I’m glad you at least tried short hair for a bit 😀

Note: Pic taken during my college internship days. It’s the only pic I have of my newsroom days.

May 16, 2023 Post

TBT Dear Younger Me: How did you have the courage and audacity to fly all the way across the country to Seattle alone to attend a large conference for a multicultural group of journalists⁉️

Keep going 🔥

✍️ You are finally gonna work at a magazine

🌎 You’re gonna board planes to Australia, Israel, Brazil, Ethiopia, England and more as you see God’s fingerprints on SIX continents

✍️ You’re gonna write about your travels so take notes

🎙️ One day you’ll be hosting your own women’s conferences and events 😮😮😮

God’s got lots more in store so get ready and keep shining 👑

Note: Just came across this souvenir photo the other day. What a sweet find 💕

June 1, 2023 Post

TBT Dear Younger Me: Welcome to your NYU grad school journalism days and interning at a famous women’s magazine. Keep going 🔥 ✍️✍️✍️

P..S. I’m glad you’re experimenting with hair colors. Change is nice sometimes.

Note: Pic taken by the magazine where I was interning. They asked me a question and quoted me and ran my photo in an issue.

June 8, 2023 Post

TBT Dear Younger Me: Remember the mini-magazines you were creating at home as a little girl? Your childhood dream of working for a magazine finally came true❣️ Enjoy getting all glammed up and going to the fancy events and meeting the celebs and even doing a photo shoot … it’s gonna be a bumpy ride soon so hold on…

God’s got a plot twist for you 🔥 …

Note: Left pic taken before an event. The top right pic was taken at a photo shoot for the magazine I worked for. The bottom right pic was taken after the photo shoot 😎

June 15, 2023 Post

TBT Dear Younger Me: Remember how long you dreamed of going to an Olympics? What a thrill to visit various stadiums including the one in Athens Greece and going to a Summer and Winter Games ❣️❣️❣️

I’m so grateful you had such a wonderful time 💕

I’m also grateful God chased you down in Sydney… life will never be the same and that’s Good News …

God’s got a plot twist for you 🔥

Now that these childhood dreams were fulfilled it’s time for the next adventures … Get Ready 🔥

June 22, 2023 Post

TBT Dear Younger Me: How did you go from being a journalist to an English teacher to a communications specialist⁉️ And how did you have the courage to travel on short-term missions trips to the Amazon Jungle in Brazil, the Andes Mountains in Ecuador and the streets and schools and parks and plazas in Ethiopia, Honduras and Peru 🌎🌍

Only God could do that 🙌

He knows what’s on the other side of our YES ❣️

Enjoy your travels and meeting people along the way and guess what.. your writing won’t be in hiding much longer 😎…

God’s got more in store for you during this plot twist 🔥

June 29, 2023 Post

Dear Younger Me: Rejoice as you dare to live your God-given dreams 🙌

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

In this season the little girl who was making mini-magazines at home and the journalist who worked at a women’s magazine is now:

🔥 Writing FIVE Christian living books and devotionals

🔥 Teaching at a Bible school

🔥 Hosting events

🔥 Speaking in church and chapel services, events and gatherings

🔥 Being interviewed on different media outlets

🔥 Hosting a podcast

🔥 Blogging

🔥 Coaching

🔥 Has a YouTube channel

Keep writing ✍️ and speaking 🎙️

Keep encouraging people as they walk by faith, hope and love and dare to live their God-given dreams 🔥

Note: I’m so glad my Dear Dad got to celebrate much of this with us 💕

July 6, 2023 Post

Hope you’ve enjoyed my recent TBT Dear Younger Me posts 💕

It’s been fun going down memory lane and sharing some of the twists and turns and milestones in my writing and faith journey.

It’s been nice to reflect on how God has been working in me and through me.

I’m rejoicing that I’m in the season when I’m

🔥 Writing my first book for the NavPress/Tyndale Alliance

🔥 Writing for Our Daily Bread

🔥 Teaching at a Bible school

I look forward to sharing more highlights and updates with you.  Please stay tuned. Be sure to sign up for my email list.

Want to learn more about my faith and writing journey? Check out By Faith: Adventures and Reflections on Walking With God Here and Abroad on Amazon

And stay tuned for more info about my upcoming Book 6  🎉

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Thoughts on Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month (9/15-10/15) 🎉 As you celebrate the rich and vibrant Latino/Hispanic culture, please keep in mind these friendly reminders:

✨ We’re a very diverse group.

✨ We come in all different shapes, sizes, colors and heights.

✨ We don’t all speak Spanish.

✨ We’re not all immigrants. Many of us were born here. Some of our families have been in the U.S. before it was even U.S. territory. Others are automatic citizens (Puerto Rico we see you).

✨ Your kindness will go a long way in helping newer immigrants feel welcome.

✨ Asylum seekers and refugees allowed into the U.S. are NOT illegal aliens.

✨ We’re more than just entertainers and athletes or tacos and guacamole (although, that’s all muy bueno).

We’re also doctors, lawyers, authors, business owners, NASA engineers, politicians, teachers, social workers, nurses, pastors and so much more …

We’re here ALL throughout the year …

Some are doing back-breaking work or are essential workers who helped keep the economy going even during a global pandemic. (Have you thanked an essential or service worker lately?) Others have served in the military (for generations) to help defend our freedom 🇺🇸

So during this Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond:

✅ Celebrate and learn about our different cultures and heritages.

✅ Invite us inside your communities and save a few seats for us among your tables of influence.

✅ Hire us, pay us fairly, and support our books, businesses, art, causes, etc..

✅ Lament with us when you see news reports about how our gente and communities here or abroad are suffering.

✅ Help to amplify and promote our stories and voices whether it’s in English, Spanish, Spanglish or other. Positive representation matters!

GRACIAS to those of you already celebrating with us 💕

How do you celebrate the Hispanic culture? Let me know on Abounding Faith’s Instagram.

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Did this post encourage you? Get access to the FREE Feisty Faith: Trusting God Day by Day 5-Day Sampler PDF as a gift when you sign up for Abounding Faith’s email list. Get updates on Abounding Faith’s books, blog, podcast, life coaching and more by clicking here or the image below.

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month (9/15 – 10/15)

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month (9/15 – 10/15) 🎉 I’m kicking off this festive month by opening up my “Disney Vault” to share this Ode to Latino/a entertainers and elite athletes 💃💃💃

LONG before I was writing books, I was a journalist who got to meet plenty of celebs, Olympians, politicians, etc.

Many of these pics have never been seen before 😎 I hope you enjoy this glimpse of my magazine and journalism days…

There’s obviously a story behind each pic .. maybe I’ll share that another time.

If you’re curious about God calling me out of my journalism career, check out By Faith: Adventures and Reflections on Walking With God Here and Abroad. There’s a chapter on living your God-given dreams and discussion questions you can use with your connect group or book club.

Wanna try to name all of mi gente in these pics? Take your best guesses and post them in the comments on Abounding Faith’s Instagram.

(Amigas, yes that’s them in the first two pics 😯

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Did this post encourage you? Get access to the FREE Feisty Faith: Trusting God Day by Day 5-Day Sampler PDF as a gift when you sign up for Abounding Faith’s email list. Get updates on Abounding Faith’s books, blog, podcast, life coaching and more by clicking here or the image below.