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.
The Wesleyan Quadrilateral: Scripture’s Revelation Is No Joke
A post seen on Twitter: People: Why should I be Catholic? Catholics: We’re the one true church! People: Nice 😎 People: Why should I be evangelical? Evangelicals: We have a personal relationship with Jesus! People: Nice 😎 People: Why should I be Mainline? Mainline: You get to T H I N K! People: 😕 The author of this little Twitter exchange thought he was being quite smart, I’m sure. My reaction to it was not particularly funny, however. What occurred to me was this: “God says: Scenario 1: “That’s tradition”. Scenario 2: “That’s experience”. Scenario 3: “That’s reason”. Each has part of the...
Titus 2’s Teaching- Not Mindfulness, But Spirit-fulness
The World’s Way Is Not The Way - Why Mindfulness Is Not Our Approach What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness” is a popular technique being used in therapeutic circles to address emotional and mental health issues these days. Increasingly, we are being asked to be more “mindful” in order to manage our thought lives. It is a meditative practice. “Mindfulness meditation is a mental training practice that teaches you to slow down racing thoughts, let go of negativity, and calm both your mind and body. Mindfulness techniques can vary, but in general, mindfulness meditation involves a breathing...
Venery And Other Lost Literary Arts
In 1971, I started college at Auburn University. It was not my first choice. I felt very much out of my element, having grown up in small rural communities and graduating in a class of 22. I felt very lost on the large campus environment in spite of the small town atmosphere in which it is nestled- "Auburn- The Loveliest Village of the Plains." It was difficult for me there. I found myself gaining a considerable amount of weight, engaged in demands upon me that were uncomfortable and often felt beyond my abilities. I worked at Ralph Draughon Library as part of work-study financial aid...
Turtle Herd
Did you know that 2020 is the Year of the Turtle? May 23 has been being celebrated as Turtle Day since 2000 as a way of bringing awareness to conservation of all kinds of turtles. In Florida we are especially blessed to have a diverse population of various species! The University of Florida has some very interesting facts about the species of turtles native to Florida. I have long identified with some of the characteristics of the turtle, although I am often observed to be more in the mode of the rabbit. I have a young friend who has discovered the joy of communing with turtles this year,...
The Book Club
My friend, Pat Sabiston, is a published author. We talk about books and the activities that go into and arise from such an endeavor. But often we talk about one particular book, The Bible. We both find God's Word wonderfully inviting and revealing and we enjoy sharing what God shows us there and as we read our supplemental devotionals and observe other things in our day, those things are illuminated by the Bible's principles, their topics often dovetailing in ways that make us marvel at God's faithfulness, creativity, and intimacy in our lives. I think this is one of the reasons God would...
A Perspective on Trinity
A Christian observed in a social media post that she preferred to think about religion(s) through this analogy: "That all rivers, lakes, and streams flow into one ocean. Therefore, some would say all religions lead to the same goal…. Merging with the Divine, as waters flow into the “ocean”. This is called Monism. It lumps the spirit of God and the spirit of humankind together. It denies the existence of a distinction or duality in some sphere, such as that between matter and mind, or God and the world. It can also be encompassed in pantheism or creation worship. All reality can...
Serpents, Doves, and Opportunism
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16 These are among Jesus’ words to his disciples, the Twelve, as he was preparing them to be sent, two by two, out into the world. He commended the wisdom, or shrewdness, of the serpent to them. Here is the larger context Matthew 10: 1-23: “Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is...
Swords to Plowshares
Meme seen: "You attract people when you have a healing spirit. Be careful with that. Because darkness is drawn to your light...… #everybodydontwanthealing." That’ll come to light soon enough. It took a while for me to figure it out, though. This does explain a whole lot about some things in my life that seemed inexplicable before and why I went through some things I did. I am so glad that God eventually opened my eyes and made me comfortable with letting people go and okay with suffering.... I had to be okay with my own suffering first. Then I could be okay with that of others without...
Re-Gathering
One morning I found myself overwhelmed by competing demands on my time. With five women in the Titus 2 residence, three of whom are relatively new and two under court order, there are a lot of meetings, counseling sessions, and appointments- mental health, medical, legal, etc. One of them had a mental health meeting by internet video which required my phone for an hour. I also had another lady in jail who was appearing in an important pretrial hearing that involved our ministry and I had been meeting with her regularly since January regarding what the likely outcome of this hearing would be....
Remaking a House a Home
Written 5/17/19- as we have been clearing, cleaning, and repairing the Titus 2 life recovery residence. I received a call yesterday from the piano technician who pronounced the death knell upon our ministry's Baldwin piano recently. He'd located a wonderful replacement ...FREE TO US....requiring only that we pay a moving fee. He would then come and tune it for us at no charge. Choking back tears, again. One of the Titus 2 ladies came to me and said, "I want to know what is behind this emotion over the piano." I could not even respond..... just shook my head and said, "Another time." Too...