Greetings from my Bday Castle

It’s been a blessed Roctober, thank God! Here’s a short video I shot at my bday castle this year. I’m sharing a few thoughts about the release of By Faith: Adventures and Reflections on Walking with God Here and Abroad.

One of my fave spots in the castle is the library. It’s a treat being surrounded by so many books. Seeing the pic below just gave me a flashback of working in my high school’s library.

It’s surreal to see how my list of books is growing! God is Good!

As a child, I enjoyed writing in my diary and creating my own little magazines out of loose leaf paper. I’d write all the celeb profiles, advice column Q&A’s and even had a sports section. As I got older, I wanted to write for magazines. Writing felt very natural for me. I never dreamed about writing books though. My writing went into hiding for years after I felt the Lord ask me to lay down my successful journalism career. So how is it that I’m celebrating the release of my fourth book? It’s a long story, and I’m delighted to share some of it in By Faith.  

Come along with me as I journey to six continents and see God’s miraculous lovely fingerprints near and far. (I guess once a reporter always a reporter.)
 
I pray By Faith, Waiting on God Well, Abounding Faith and Crossing Your Jordan River are a blessing to you! They are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble‘s website. 

 

Reflections on By Faith’s Book Launch Event

What a wonderful feeling to finally be able to share By Faith: Adventures and Reflections on Walking with God Here and Abroad with the world! I’m honored that By Faith is being endorsed by Our Daily Bread Ministries, the President of Nyack College and a veteran TV producer/manager and Regional Director of the Christian Women in Media Association!

By Faith is the story of how God chased me down during one amazing week in Australia and how I’ve seen His fingerprints during my travels to six continents. In the clip above, I’m sharing a glimpse of what my time in Australia was like.

I’m so grateful to my family and friends who helped me celebrate the release of By Faith! And I’m touched by how my readers enjoy buying multiple copies of my books to share with their friends.

As I’ve said before, writing can be a solitary endeavor. It’s such a treat when I finally get to celebrate a new book with others!  It’s surreal to think that God has allowed me to write four books and to design items for Abounding Faith’s online store!

I’m so thankful to Open Bible Church International for allowing us to use their church for the launch event.

I’m also so thankful to my friends at Our Daily Bread Ministries and TBN NY for once again providing great giveaways for my guests.

I’d like to say a huge Thank You to my volunteers for helping to make this event a success. What a blessing! I can’t host these events without my faithful volunteers.

I’m already starting to hear some lovely feedback about By Faith, which I’ll share in the upcoming weeks. God is Good!

I pray By Faith will inspire you to trust God with the unique story He’s unfolding for you. I hope that you will follow God’s plan for your life, even if He calls you outside of your comfort zone. God knows what’s on the other side of your yes!

Thanks for your prayers and encouragement! If By Faith blesses you, please leave a short review on Amazon. Blessings!

 

 

 

 

By Faith Available on Amazon & Our Daily Bread Endorsement!

I’m thrilled to share that By Faith: Adventures and Reflections on Walking with God Here and Abroad is now available in print and on Kindle on Amazon!

This book has taken me almost a lifetime to live and more than a year to write, and now I get to share it with the world. Glory to God!

I’m so blessed by this lovely endorsement from my friends at Our Daily Bread Ministries:

I hope you and your friends, family, small group members, missions and evangelism teams, etc. make plans to get a copy of By Faith on Amazon! If the book blesses you, please take a moment to leave a kind review on Amazon.

Here is a snapshot of what you’ll find in this inspiring book:

As a young journalist, Nancy Gavilanes was on the fast-track to success. She had written for a major international newspaper, earned a master’s degree in journalism from a prestigious university, and worked at a women’s magazine in Times Square. But as Nancy’s career soared, she drew further from God. Then God chased Nancy down during one amazing week in Sydney, Australia. Her decision to follow Jesus changed the course of her life forever.

By Faith takes you on a journey of living a life surrendered to God. Through poignant reflections, captivating testimonies, and insightful blog entries, Nancy takes you along as she travels to six continents and the bustling streets of her native New York City. Nancy shares how she has seen God’s fingerprints during short-term missions trips to the Amazon Jungle in Brazil, the Andes Mountains in Ecuador, shantytowns in Ethiopia, gang-riddled Honduras, and the plazas of Lima, Peru.

Her story also reveals how after years of keeping her writing hidden, the Lord called Nancy to write and speak for His glory. Nancy’s compelling story will encourage and challenge you to live your God-given dreams and to walk by abounding faith!

Thanks for your prayers and encouragement! Get your copy of By Faith today! Blessings!

Veteran TV Producer/Manager Endorses By Faith & Book Excerpt

I’m so touched by these kinds words about By Faith from Chris Luppo!  I truly appreciate her taking the time to write this lovely endorsement for By Faith!

And I’m delighted that there’s only one week left until By Faith: Adventures and Reflections on Walking with God Here and Abroad is available on Amazon!

I’m so honored that God would allow me to experience His miraculous lovely hands here and around the globe. I’m humbled that He would allow me to write my fourth book! By Faith is filled with testimonies of how God has worked in me and through me over the years. These are some of the stories I would share with you if I could walk you through my photo albums and scrapbooks. Below is just a taste of one of my favorite moments from my third short-term missions trip. It was such a beautiful moment during my visit to Ethiopia. I pray this memory blesses you! By Faith will be available on Amazon on October 8th.

True Worship

It may sound a little weird, but I had been looking forward to the evening when we could go on a street outreach. It reminded me of my days doing homeless outreaches in NYC.

The evening finally arrived, and we visited young men who literally lived in a garbage dump. (I am not exaggerating or being disrespectful.) Our team, escorted by locals who ministered to these young guys, walked through piles of garbage to find the little shacks where these young men lived. At first, I was spooked. It was dark out there. I was being super careful about where I stepped and was afraid of what I might see lurking in the shadows.

It wasn’t a very pleasant place to be, but I knew God was there!

The boys came out, and we started talking to them.

A local ministry leader had brought a guitar, so we sang and worshiped God right there under the moonlight in the junkyard.

I love worshiping God outdoors, so that moment was extra special for me. It’s still one of the holiest and most anointed services I’ve ever been to. It obviously wasn’t because of a fancy building; we were surrounded by heaps of trash. The beauty was that we were worshiping God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

Where two or three are gathered in His name, Jesus is truly there (Matthew 18:20).

When our leader asked for volunteers to speak to the group of young men, I thought about how God was calling me to be a leader and to speak to groups of people. I surprised myself by being the second one to speak. I just wanted to let them know God was with them and loved them.

I count it an honor to have had the chance to encourage those young guys that night. I trust God is watching over them. And I pray I will always have the peace to speak to groups large or small, poor or affluent, and near or far about the love of Jesus!

BY FAITH: ADVENTURES AND REFLECTIONS ON WALKING WITH GOD HERE AND ABROAD

Copyright © 2018 by Nancy Gavilanes

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Scriptures 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.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

For more information, visit AboundingFaith.com.

Nyack College President Endorses By Faith Book

I’m so grateful to Dr. Michael Scales for his lovely endorsement of By Faith! It’s such an honor to read such kind words about my fourth book from the President of Nyack College!

There’s only two weeks left before By Faith is available on Amazon. I plan to share an excerpt from By Faith and a few more endorsements, so please stay tuned.

Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement as the release date gets closer, and thanks for helping to spread the word about this encouraging book. I continue to pray that all who read By Faith will be inspired to believe God for greater things!

If you’d like to read By Faith‘s Introduction, click here.

Blessings!

 

Sneak Peek at By Faith’s Introduction

It’s with great joy that I share the Introduction for By Faith with you! Please join me in praying that all who read this book will be encouraged to trust God in a greater way and inspired to live their God-given dreams!

Introduction

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. (Psalm 34:8)

God has opened some pretty incredible doors for me over the years. I like to say He showed up and showed off in October 2016.

After years of feeling drawn to somehow minister at the United Nations, God allowed me to speak to a group of Christians who work there. That in itself was a longing fulfilled and a privilege that I didn’t take lightly. Then about a week later God allowed me to give my brief testimony at an evening service at my home church, Times Square Church. What an honor!

Within the span of two weeks, I got to speak at a UN building and a legendary Broadway theater. Only God could do that!

God truly opens doors that no man can shut (Revelation 3:8).

But years before I experienced those breakthroughs, I had to go through a long journey and process. I have seen God do miraculous things here and in my travels abroad. I’ve also seen Him work in the ordinary and routine moments in my life.

Walking with God has truly been an adventure for me, and I feel God leading me to share some of those moments with you. I’m writing this book as a love letter to God. I want to shout from the rooftops how great and mighty He is! He is worthy of praise in the good and bad times.

I’d like to share with you glimpses of what my life was like before I surrendered it to the Lord, as well as some of the wonderful work He’s done in me and through me over the years. I pray it will encourage you to receive God’s love and inspire you to love and obey Him wholeheartedly and to spend the rest of your life pouring out that love on others!

If at times I come across as boasting, please know it’s just me marveling at all God can do. I can’t take the credit. I can just humbly yet boldly follow my heavenly Father’s lead.

If at times it seems I’m being vague with details, please know I’ve done so on purpose to guard my privacy and the privacy of those around me.

This book is not meant to be a tell-all exposé of my life or meant to point fingers, place blame, or to condemn anyone.

This book is a peek inside the beautiful and international love story God has written for me. May it bless you and remind you that God loves you beyond measure and that He desires to walk in close relationship with you.

God has a unique story He is writing for you. You can trust Him with the pen.

My story is still unfolding, and so it is with great pleasure that I look forward to sharing the next chapters with you in God’s perfect timing.

If you are tempted to quit in the middle of your story, I invite you to read my books Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough, Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible, and Crossing Your Jordan River: How to Possess and Prosper in Your Promised Land (available on Amazon). They are filled with Bible verses, action steps, and prayer prompts to help you to keep running your race.

As always, I’m delighted the Lord would allow me to encourage you through my writing and speaking. It’s all for His glory!

I pray you will be encouraged to live your God-given dreams. There’s no better place to be than in the center of God’s will for your life.

If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I’d like to invite you to put your trust in Him today. It’s the best decision you will ever make. Your life will truly never be the same!

Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her! (Luke 1:45)

BY FAITH: ADVENTURES AND REFLECTIONS ON WALKING WITH GOD HERE AND ABROAD

Copyright © 2018 by Nancy Gavilanes

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Scriptures 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.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

For more information, visit AboundingFaith.com.

Announcing Abounding Faith’s Second Women’s Conference!

“I was encouraged to pray and seek God for my life’s purpose.”

That’s how an attendee summed up her experience at last year’s women’s conference. Glory! It’s time for us Audacious Dreamers and Doers to reunite at this year’s Abounding Faith Women’s Conference! Come be inspired and connect with women of diverse ages and backgrounds who are on this faith journey with you.

Ladies, you won’t want to miss this beautiful time of refreshing and empowerment! Save the date and invite your friends. Registration details to come.

**If you’re interested in sponsoring this inspiring event that will encourage and empower women in New York City, please email info@aboundingfaith.com. Blessings!

 

Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

WOGW journal prompts header 1-16-17

For more encouragement, read my books Crossing Your Jordan River: How to Possess and Prosper in Your Promised Land, Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

5 for 5

In honor of my fifth Blogiversary, I’m taking a look back at posts from past years. Below are links to posts that ran in January over the years. The lessons still ring true. I pray they bless and encourage you. If you have a favorite post from the past that you’d like me to re-visit, please let me know and I may feature it again. Blessings!

Help is on the Way January 2013

I once heard a sermon where the pastor mentioned that we pray one thing and God does 10,000 things in order to bring to pass the answer to our request. The photo above helps to remind me that God does hear my prayers and that His answer is on the way. [Read more by clicking here].

 

In Full Bloom January 2014

Lessons from the Lilies

This week, I’d like to share some lessons I was reminded of from these two lilies in the same bouquet. They caught my attention because at first they were all closed up. They were sealed tighter than in the picture on the left side. Then, in typical fashion, as the days passed they opened up so that their beauty was on full display. [Read more by clicking here].

 

Freedom in Facing Your Fears January 2015

Lessons Learned From Daring to Finally Use my Flat Iron

Ladies, I’m pretty sure you’re going to be able to relate to this post. Fellas, hang in there. Just substitute the mentions of the flat iron with something you fear. [Read more by clicking here].

 

3 Ways to Grow in Your Faith January 2016

If you desire to grow in your faith in Christ this year, congratulations! There’s no better time than today to start. Whether you’ve been a Christian for most of your life or you’re new to following Jesus, I’d like to help you on your faith journey. [Read more by clicking here].

 

7 Bible Verses to Boost Your Hope! January 2017

Are you struggling to wait on God to fulfill His promises in your life? Are you afraid that you’ll never see a breakthrough in your finances, personal life, or ministry work?  If so, I’d like to encourage you not to give up! God is Faithful and will move in your life in His perfect timing and in His perfect way! [Read more by clicking here].

 

Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

WOGW journal prompts header 1-16-17

For more encouragement, read my books Crossing Your Jordan River: How to Possess and Prosper in Your Promised Land, Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Happy 5th Blogiversary!

How in the world has private me been blogging for five straight years? Only God could do that!

I still remember how hard it was to launch this blog. There were tons of reasons why I shouldn’t have started blogging.

I have a master’s degree in journalism from New York University and have written for various publications including The New York Times, but I wasn’t used to writing publicly about my faith. I was trained to tell other people’s stories. But the more I started to share some of my insights and life lessons I’ve learned, the more positive reaction I got from readers.

I’m not techie by any stretch of the imagination. I remember spending hours reading and watching videos about the technical side of starting a blog. I made tons of calls to the support lines for help the weekend I launched my site. I still marvel that this site ever went live.

I was also going through a very rough time in my life. I was in tears most of the time I launched this blog. This blog easily could have been one big rant, but I was determined to create something beautiful and to write words that would inspire and uplift readers.

All my fears and concerns could have stopped me from publishing my first post, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that God wanted me to start this blog and that it was time to honor Him with my writing gift. What a journey it’s been!

I was worried that I might quickly run out of things to say, but God has been faithful to give me ideas for what to share here. As I poured out my thoughts on the screen, God filled me with fresh ideas (or manna) to help others on their faith journey.

I’ve written on good days and not-so-good days. I’m grateful that this blog has been a safe place for me to share my writing, photos, videos and designs.

By God’s grace, I’m still here. And you’re still here, too! I pray you have been encouraged by my posts!

I’m delighted that I’ve written three books during these years of blogging, and I’m thrilled that Book 4 is with my early readers. I plan to share parts of my testimony and some blog posts in my new book so stay tuned!

This year I also plan to have my second women’s conference. I will be sharing more info shortly.

In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy the Miraculous and Lovely moments in your life! God really is closer than you think, and He desires to spend precious time with you! Blessings to you on your faith journey!

“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:45)

Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

WOGW journal prompts header 1-16-17

For more encouragement, read my books Crossing Your Jordan River: How to Possess and Prosper in Your Promised Land, Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Happy New Year & My One Word

Welcome to 2018! I pray you’re filled with God’s love, peace and joy in this new year! I pray that you will know Jesus in a deeper way and that you will dare to live your God-given dreams and SOAR!

As I’ve been praying and thinking about my “One Word” for this year, the word that keeps coming to mind is beauty. I will seek to see God’s beauty in my everyday life. Yes, I will rejoice in the Miraculous Lovely moments throughout the year.

God’s beauty is all around us. We just need to stop and cherish those moments.

I had plenty of time to soak in God’s splendor during my recent trip back to the Caribbean. The sunrises and sunsets on the ocean were truly breathtaking!

I’d like to start this year off by sharing some of those photos with you. I pray they will inspire you. God is so creative!

 

I’ll be sharing more pics this week on Abounding Faith’s Instagram page.

Many blessings to you this year, and remember that God promises to give us beauty for ashes.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

WOGW journal prompts header 1-16-17

For more encouragement, read my books Crossing Your Jordan River: How to Possess and Prosper in Your Promised Land, Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.