Beyond Brief by Cindy Angelina

Lately, I have been intrigued by two specific passages in Scripture. One is when Jesus speaks about pruning in John 15. The other is when He curses the fig tree in Mark 11. At first, they felt unrelated. But over the past few days, I kept sensing the Holy Spirit drawing my attention to them both. I started to wonder. Is God using these verses to correct me? To speak into something He sees in my heart? To show me what He truly desires from my life? That honest question led me into a quiet but deep reflection. And what I found was not only eye-opening but deeply personal. Jesus Cursed a Tree. Why? In Mark 11, we see a moment that almost feels out of character for Jesus. He sees a fig tree in leaf. He approaches it to find fruit. But there is none. So He says to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” The next morning, the tree is found completely withered from the roots. It is strange, right? Especially when Scripture clearly says, “It was not the season for figs.” Why would Jesu...

I’m currently in a waiting season, yep, that one. The single, praying, celibate, trying not to sabotage my own heart season. To be honest, it’s been about   4 years   since I’ve been celibate. Back in   2021 , I made a clear decision to cut off all the   vague, half-hearted, compromising relationships   in my life. I realized I wasn’t walking with Jesus the way I said I believed in Him. I was a Christian, yes, but my heart? It wasn’t fully surrendered. A little background: I’ve been a Christian my whole life (super grateful my parents are Christian), but growing up, we went to a local church that was  cessationist,  so I never really knew much about the Holy Spirit. It wasn’t until I stepped into a  charismatic church  later on that I had my first  real  encounter with the Holy Spirit. That’s when my spiritual journey truly began, with all its  ups and downs . When I moved overseas, I attended different churches. Looking back n...

It’s been a while since I last touched base here on my blog, and today I feel the need to pour out my thoughts and what I believe God has been speaking to me. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been experiencing some things that feel beyond the natural. They’re deeply connected to the things I’ve been praying for over the past month. One of them is for some people I truly care about, that they would come to know Jesus personally and walk in a closer relationship with Him. Another is a prayer about continuing my studies to the next level in a place I believe God is leading me to. Last week, something strange happened. On early Monday morning around 3 a.m., I got sick all of a sudden. I couldn’t sleep at all the night before, and then came this sharp, needle-like pain in my stomach. It would show up randomly, last for a few seconds, then go away, and then come back again. I felt incredibly weak and sweaty, and no matter how much I prayed, the pain didn’t leave me. The day before I got sick,...

Adulting is wild. One minute you’re excited about independence, and the next, you’re overwhelmed with responsibilities. It’s full of choices, unexpected turns, and moments where you wonder if you’re doing it right. Honestly, it can be exhausting. But through it all, my faith in God has been my safe place, reminding me that I don’t have to figure everything out on my own. The Chaos of Growing Up Stepping into adulthood sometimes feels like being thrown into the deep end without swimming lessons. Suddenly, you have bills to pay, career decisions to make, relationships to navigate, and a whole lot of expectations to meet. It’s easy to feel lost and unsure. The fear of making mistakes or taking the wrong path is real, and sometimes, no matter how much planning you do, life throws unexpected challenges your way. One of the biggest struggles is dealing with uncertainty. No matter how hard I try to plan my future, things don’t always go as expected. There have been so many moments where I’ve ...

Life is full of battles, but the biggest war often takes place in our own minds. Louie Giglio’s book  Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table  is a powerful reminder that we are not alone in this fight. This book is deeply rooted in biblical truth and provides practical steps to overcome negative thoughts, anxiety, and fear by focusing on God’s promises. When I first read this book, I was going through turbulence in my life. I felt overwhelmed and drained by fear and uncertainty. I turned to the Bible for strength, but I needed additional guidance to process my emotions. This book became a supplement to my daily scripture reading. Louie Giglio masterfully unpacks Psalm 23:5, which says,  “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”  He explains that God has prepared a place for us at His table, but too often, we allow the enemy to sit there by entertaining lies, doubts, and insecurities. One of the mo...