About the Author
Cathy Boyd Byrd invites others to join her in considering topics of interest to those on the Christian spiritual journey…..discipleship, spirituality, mental health, Christian growth, and Bible study. Cathy enjoys working with others as they transition from emotional emergency and brokenness to spiritual emergence and abundant living! Many of the topics about which Cathy writes are interrelated as experienced in her own life and in the lives of those with whom she works in counseling, teaching, and case management, and in friendships. She believes that sharing our journey of Christian growth and spirituality helps us know God and ourselves better and connects us with others!
Cathy is a Christian Educator and Life Recovery Counselor, and an ordained deacon through Christian Leaders Institute. She serves as Community Outreach MInister at Lynn Haven United Methodist Church. She is a student (disciple) of the Holy Spirit and shares with her students (disciples) the things the Lord teaches her through Bible study and contemplation, incorporating experiences interpreted through the Word, cherished traditions of her faith, and reasoning that comes from seeking the mind of Christ in accountable community. She was widowed in August 2020 after 48 years of marriage to Bill Byrd, is mother of 2 and grandmother of 5. Her journey of faith has been lifelong and continues to be an adventure with the trailblazer and guide, Jesus Christ!
Cathy is the founder and program manager for a Christian women’s residential life recovery program, Titus 2 Partnership, Inc.(www.titus2.life) in Panama City, Florida.
Neither Borrower Nor Lender Be
Through the years I've been asked to "loan" money to people knowing full well that they were not likely to repay it. Not large sums.....a power bill here, some gas money there, a Christmas layaway final payment, partial rent payment, etc. I kept their IOUs in my wallet until recently. From time to time I'd see them as I went through my wallet for one thing or another. I bought a new wallet recently. I threw out the old IOUs instead of transferring them. They had served as a regular reminder not to "loan" more than I was willing to give. It keeps one from developing a hard heart or from...
Sister-Friends
A friend used the phrase "sister-friend" in recent correspondence. It reminded me how my middle granddaughter called her big sister her "sister-friend" when she was 3, such a sweet endearing title that has continued to reflect their closeness through the years. In her case, she took her sister into her heart as her friend. In my case, my friend and I have taken each other into our hearts as sisters. I think it is a good description for special relationships, whichever way they arise. 1/23/2016 There are some few rare friends who, even though you may go months without seeing one another,...
Check Our Motives
From: Judy Klug (2016) Check our motives Philippians 1:15-18. "It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, and sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice.” Meditation: All of us have...
Immersion Reading Like Learning a New Language
JD Walt in today's Seedbed Daily Text devotional likens immersion reading of scripture ( in contrast to extraction reading) to learning a new language. Responding to today's SDT on the Scriptures as "language:" One cannot disconnect the New Testament from the Old Testament or one verse from another. It comes to life in our hearts and minds by the Holy Spirit of God in us only as we embrace it in its entirety and begin living obediently to God in it. "The fascinating thing about language is how it is so vastly interconnected and interwoven, producing what we might call a stunningly coherent...
Judgment and Justification
Ecclesiastes 11:9 "Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. ......... YET....know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things!" A serious word of caution that few of us heed. One thing about living a long life, we have the time and hopefully the wisdom, as well, to begin to see the ways in which God has already both judged and redeemed us for the follies of our youth in following "the impulses of our heart and the desires of our eyes" (the lusts...
Moving To Pilgrimage In The Word
Lesson in immersion.... Some are armchair viewers... they watch iMax images and, for a moment, see and experience through others' eyes the beauty of new adventures captured by people they haven't known. They seek information out of curiosity. Others are tourists.... they go in groups with itineraries, led by guides who show them popular sites that most people want to see or what the guide likes most. They seek a safe and informative experience they can share with others. Still others are adventurers...... striking out into the unknown, confident they have the right tools, skills, and...
Fullness of Grace and Truth Trampled
God has been dealing with me about the FULLNESS of Christ being able to dwell in us for some time.... "that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God." Colossians 1:10 Read these first three verses top to bottom..... then read them in reverse order...... 1.) Ephesians 4:11-13- "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; UNTIL WE...
Zen Spin
Zen spin...... ( From 12/6/20) “The term is shortened from mushin no shin (無心の心), (arising from the Chinese Chan School of Buddhism) of a Zen expression meaning the mind without mind and is also referred to as the state of "no-mindness". That is, a mind not fixed or occupied by thought or emotion and thus open to EVERYTHING. It is translated by D.T. Suzuki as "being free from mind-attachment"...... The essence of Zen is attempting to understand the meaning of life directly, without being misled by logical thought or language.” As a Christian cautioned to live with guarded heart and renewed...
Freedom In Christ
Freedom....... Yesterday I spent time reviewing a Rokeach Value Survey with a young lady. She arranged its 18 terminal values and 18 instrumental values in prioritized order and we set about exploring what her choices revealed about her understanding of herself, her desires, and her choices. It revealed some woundedness in a couple of areas in which she had allowed the opinions of others to squelch aspects of herself as a child. We discussed ways to restore those aspects in her current adult life in a way that could bring a sense of restored wholeness and joy. It was an instructional and...
The Goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living
Psalm 27:13 New American Standard Bible "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Hope that life here on earth will be better as God's will is worked toward completion provides hope to continue....... Galatians 6:9 "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."