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.
Bless God
On Sunday, September 8, 2019, during communion time, as I prayed I had a vision of me bowing before the throne of God, one among billions in white robes with the light of the glory of God shining down on us all. It was warm and comforting and I felt connected to the scene. It was a holy moment of feeling lifted up into the heavenlies. Tears slid down my cheeks and I felt God’s love flow over me as I sat there after having taken communion and just enjoyed the time of being with him. It was only a minute or two but it was enough to just feel the feeling of being in his Presence and feeling...
Beachhead and Commander’s Intent
JD Walt at Seedbed.com in today's devotional talks about why the average person doesn't hear the voice of the Holy Spirit...In writing about this topic he says, "People who aren’t living life in the big framework of the gospel don’t recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit, and as a consequence, they would not perceive a small assignment that might come their way. Another way of thinking about the big framework of the gospel is in the military concept of commander’s intent." “Commander’s Intent describes how the Commander envisions the battlefield at the conclusion of the mission. It shows...
Fervent and Effectual…..
"We'll be praying for you." Recently, someone shared with me her disappointment in circumstances after she made known some concerns about immediate needs she had among a group of Christians with whom she has been in weekly fellowship for a while. There was no offer of assistance, even though the need was not exceptionally difficult to meet. Our prayers, though powerful, need to be backed up with our willingness to be part of the ANSWER to the prayer in the lives of those for whom we pray. If we are not willing to allow God to use us to meet the need, then our prayers may not be as fervent...
Kindness……
I know this is one of the aspects of fruit of the Spirit, and I agree that kindness is important. I have even been praying for a more consistent expressing of kindness and gentleness in my life, neither of which I get regularly accused of having in any significant measure. Sometime people have such a hard shell around them that kindness can't even get through the suspicion and hurt out of which they operate. Given the people with whom I interact most regularly, these are not the skills most generally called on for deployment. They may read kindness and gentleness as weakness and one...
But God…..
Children who are molested, sexually abused, or used for the physical and emotional gratification of adults may become adults who are emotionally wounded, fearful, anxious, co-dependent, insecure or may overcompensate for those things by narcissism, bullying, rebelliousness, or physical, sexual, or other abuse of others. But God can...... - heal wounded emotions - illumine thoughts with clarity - reveal truth - give courage to face reality - motivate and empower forgiveness - transform families - change communities - balance justice and mercy with lovingkindness - renew sacredness - restore...
Teach Your Children Well
In the mid-70’s my husband, Bill and I were friends with a couple whose children played with our children. They lived a few blocks from us. The husband and I worked at the same hospital in the same department. I was a medical technology intern and he was a physician in the laboratory. Our families lived in the same historic downtown neighborhood. They had moved to our community from the west coast and we shared a variety interests, family dinners and children’s sports activities. One evening after dinner at J and M’s gracious old historic home we were enjoying M’s delicious homemade cheese...
The Unanswerables in Life
The Unanswerables in Life 6/9/19 CBByrd Jill Carattini's devotionals at Ravi Zacharias International MInistries challenge me. Today she writes about unanswerable questions. I chuckled as I read, "more than a few of my plaguing inquiries were probably the wrong inquiries." God led me to that conclusion in mid-life and I learned to be more comfortable with the ambiguity of life and trust God more fully. I also learned to embrace Deuteronomy 29:29: "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of...
Dead Is Dead Is Dead.
There are three kinds of dead. Physically dead: no heartbeat, no brain activity. Returning to dust. Psychologically dead: no will to live, immobilized, depressed, incapacitated to one degree or another either physically or mentally, perhaps even vegetative. One can be physically alive, moving and breathing, going through the motions, spiritually acquainted with God, but emotionally miserable and tormented. One might as well be a zombie. Perhaps this is what has given us the sci-fi genre. What a terrible and sad way to live. Spiritually dead: having suppressed or rejected relationship with...
My Father’s Son
Bill sent this out today to his children, his best friends, and me. He had seen this youtube video. It reminded him of his Dad and his Dad's advice to him through the years. His Dad died when he was 23. Our son, Billy, was 1. To You; Billy Byrd; Charlotte Donlon; Peter Musgrove; Haley Byrd; Catie Byrd; Catie Byrd Kelley; Liam Byrd; Riley Donlon; Brady Donlon; Tim Donlon; Joni Byrd; Mike Seamon; Gary Huff; Ron Sharpe Started watching this and broke down into tears. The wisest man I ever knew was my Dad, a 7th grade dropout. A autoworker on the line. He always said “ I respect...
Food Thoughts Today
If it is the weekend, I’m probably in the kitchen. And I am probably making the same things….chicken salad and pimento cheese….family favorites. It is why I buy so much grated sharp cheddar and so many bags of chicken. Last week for Easter our two oldest granddaughters were home from Macon and Washington D.C. with husbands and their Mom was busy planning for her family’s fourth move on Panama City Beach this week since Hurricane Michael so we decided on a light brunch. I volunteered to bring chicken salad, pimento cheese, dill deviled eggs, and a veggie tray. She was to get croissants...