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.
Benchmarking Mental Health Practices
I have had the opportunity recently to talk to 2 mental health professionals about our program at Titus. Our small mostly unknown little house is a healing balm for those who come here. Both of these MHP are partners in care for women we serve. In trying to briefly give them an overview of what we do I referenced the philosophy of Dr. Mark Ragins, a 30+ year psychiatrist among homeless in California. His book, which covers a lot of work with symptoms of psychosis, he and I share a general disregard for simply diagnosing based on symptoms and treating each symptom with medication after...
9/11/2001 Remembered
My lament….. I do not wish to relive every sad moment of 9/11 for the next 48 hours…… it is a trauma that remains emblazoned in the memories of many. And with events of the world today, it is an all too familiar reminder of humankind’s tendency to act inhumanely toward one another, a part of the human condition that reflects our world’s brokenness and disregard for God and his desire to redeem all things. And some days it seems the world has learned nothing from the horror of that week and all that has transpired since. So I will avoid all “news” sources and retreat into a favorite childhood...
Authentic Church
The problem with the church, any church, is not the church. It's the expectations that people bring to the church.... In other words, the ecclesiology of individuals, or what they believe about the church. I worked through my personal ecclesiology in the 90's as I experienced individuals' hypocrisy (including my own), a church's rejection of a pastor and his family, another church's process of self-evaluation and change and the extraordinary blessings of God that resulted, and my own evolving expectations (or attempts at reducing them) of people and institutions directed by people. I have...
Thanksgiving Memories
From a Thanksgiving Day past.... I was getting gas at Beeline yesterday and an older gentleman and I spoke to one another. I asked him if he was looking forward to a big meal on Thanksgiving Day. He said, "As long as Chow Time doesn't fold before then!" LOL! I had never realized how many people go out on Thanksgiving Day to eat! Po Folks was hopping today. I did notice, too, how many places were closed today..... I have not noticed as much promotion of early Black Friday shopping starting Thanksgiving Day, either. I'm grateful to see that there seems to be more recognition of the need to...
Remembrance As a Tool of Spiritual, Emotional, and Relational Healing
In Scripture we see regular references to "remembrance" and directions to "remember". Memories can hold keys to self-awareness, healing, and peace with God, within one's self, and even with others. Below is a link to an excellent resource from Biblical Counseling Coalition for considering how to work the practice of remembering into spiritual healing work. At Titus 2's life recovery program we also use an exercise in which individuals list memorable events from their lives and then write out a timeline of their lives. The Life Experience Timeline worksheet is modified from the SHAPE...
Childhood Fantasies
"Identity to me is practical. It's a dramatic role that you play out in the world. And while playing that out, it has to furnish you with a life— which means that it has to be negotiated with other people. When you're a very young child, you first start to play with who you are; you live in a fantasy world. So that means identity has to expand beyond its egocentric focus and increasingly be negotiated in the social world. " Jordan B. Peterson Identity foundation and psychological integrity is a necessary part of maturity. Childhood fantasies, often retained in some way or another,...
IED Education
On this cold Sunday morning, I was reluctant to leave the warmth of blanket and heating system. As I lay there, having listened to and viewed several morning readings, the Lord was speaking. I was reflecting on how I've been wowed by all God's done in situations in my life, even during and especially in my relationship with Bill. We each had some hard to resist habits of communication and behavior early in our marriage, until we each fully embraced Christ and then we had several years of being "deconstructed" before being renewed in our marriage. It was painful for both of us. I have come to...
Responsibility “For” or “To”
A friend observed: "There is a simple, joyful rare belief that we are all responsible for each other." Because I have worked so long on boundaries issues in my own life and in the lives of many who have come to Titus 2, I have preferred to think about this in a little different way. I have found the phrase " responsible TO one another" a more helpful concept than "responsible FOR each other", at least as one reaches the maturing age and psychological development to accept for herself responsibility for her own actions.... Accountability to God and to one another still honors and expects of...
Healing Blessing
Healing Blessing by Susie Larson January 25, 2022 "May God heal your memories. May He minister to those places in your story that still stir up pain in you. May He bring clarity where there’s been confusion. Maybe you’ve always wondered about something and it’s left you feeling insecure. May Jesus speak truth and clear up what the enemy has distorted. May He clean up what the enemy has messed up. In Christ Jesus, you have a place at the table of grace. You’re not your past mistakes and you’re not who others say you are. You are cherished by God Himself. Redeemed by His grace. And renewed...
Joys of Aging….. (Not!)
From 12 years ago...... What was I thinking?? This had to have been sarcasm..... "....I just love the continued challenges and requirement for flexibility that the turn of the calendar page brings!" Ahhh, yes! This post was also 12 years ago, immediately before the other one! "....I paid the doctor an exhorbitant amount for the privilege of telling me I'm gettin.....ahem...."older" and that this kind of ocular change is not unusual for my age! Has to recheck it in 3 weeks just to be sure it's age related and not onset of a more problematic issue. Gr88888888t!"